Now that Summer is here, I’m wondering if you’re feeling inspired to do something brave, bold and brilliant?
Summer is a time to come alive and live life in full bloom. I’ve always felt that it is hard not to feel inspired when the sun is shining and the days are long. It is in that spirit that I am pleased to share our latest and greatest release…
INSPIRED: 7 Wisdoms of a Soul Inspired Life by Joy Taylor, with a Foreword by NY Times bestselling author Marci Shimoff
By the way, did I mention some of the incredible endorsements that are coming in for INSPIRED?
“Apply the Wisdoms and your life will improve” – Jack Canfield, Co-Creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul™
“This book is a timely antidote to the growing sense of fear that we live in an unsafe world.” – John Gray, NY Times bestselling author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus
Here is a sneak peek from the back cover to hear Joy tell it in her own words:
Are you inspired to do something brave, bold, and brilliant?
Have you ever dared to share and put yourself out there? If you don’t show up, don’t risk, and don’t overcome your fears or inner obstacles, the world loses – and so do you.
Joy Taylor, Author of INSPIRED
Inspired introduces game-changing ideas on how to align your personality with your soul, break cycles of fear, and be more happy more often. This is not a book of untested theories, rather it is real-world and relatable, packed with tips, tools, and tactics for experiencing love, nurturing self-compassion, and catalyzing your purpose. You will be guided to ask empowering questions, tap into your inner knowing, and actualize your authentic self in everything you do.
Are you ready to discover your most inspired self? INSPIRED: 7 Wisdoms of a Soul Inspired Life is about celebrating you! It’s about becoming the best you can be, finding your purpose, and being the person you came here to be―brave, bold, and brilliant!
PS: Inspiration is already spreading to book lovers everywhere. As I write this INSPIRED is the #1 Hot New Release in Spiritual Growth & Self-Help. Help us add some fuel to the fire by picking up a copy now!
If You Don’t Claim Extraordinary, Ordinary Claims You!
What does it mean to be an Extraordinary Man? What does it mean to live an extraordinary life, and why should you care to find out? The simple answer is that becoming an Extraordinary Man is the only way to achieve true joy and happiness. That process of becoming involves living passionately, feeling excited about life and prioritizing a life of abundance, meaning and deep fulfillment.
Arthur Magoulianiti, Best-Selling Author of The Extraordinary Man shares his reasons for writing this book.
But what is at stake if you do not pursue an extraordinary life?” An ordinary man lives a mediocre life defined by surviving instead of thriving, where things maybe just OK, but are hardly ever great. Ordinary is where work is an emotionally-draining necessity, where relationships are a challenge and where finances are never too far away from going flat. At the heart of creating and living an extraordinary life is the process of becoming an Extraordinary Man.
The good news is that it’s a lot easier than you might think! In order to have more, we must first become more and The Extraordinary Man lays out the principles and practices that can change your life – literally overnight. Each new habit, each new strategy applied changes your life for the better. Adopting these time-tested and proven principles will create extraordinary results for you and, just as importantly, those around you like your family and loved ones.
Arthur Magoulianiti speaks to the importance of good health to be Extraordinary
All men know deep down that they have more to give, they know that deep down they are powerful. But on the surface, anything that blocks our masculine power prevents us from accessing our innate powers to create, to love, and to live life to the fullest. It’s time to leave behind the ordinary and become your best self; to fully become The Extraordinary Man that has always lived inside of you!
Arthur Magoulianiti and I discuss Creating Abundance
I would like to congratulate Arthur Magoulianiti on The Extraordinary Man hitting #1 Hot New Release on Amazon and for continuing to demonstrate what it means to strive for the extraordinary in all aspects of life!
Congratulations on deciding to write a book! Honestly, this is an involved undertaking, but writing and publishing a book is one of the most rewarding things you can do in life. Imagine someone you’ve never met, in a place you’ve never been buying and reading your book then telling you the impact your book has made in their life. Think about how that will feel and really see it in your mind’s eye. That is where you are going and I can tell you from deep personal experience that it feels amazing!
Creating a vision and setting goals for your book at the outset is incredibly valuable and will save you the time and frustration borne from writing without a plan. The big picture vision for your book should include how it will play into the next level of growing (or launching) your business and brand.
Strategic Planning For Your Book Launch & Beyond – To get you started writing the right way I created a video for you:
By taking just a little time to create a big vision and a high-level strategic plan, you’ll already be further along than most authors who begin writing their book without one.
I’ve created an expanded description of the strategic planning process and how to create a compelling vision for your book in this post: Create a Big Vision and Set Goals for Your Book (coming soon)
Creating an Outline & Structuring Your Content
Now that you have clarity on the overarching vision for your book, let’s dive into creating an outline and structuring your content so your book makes a big impact on your readers. To get clear on how your book should flow and what content should go where, consider this question:
“From the moment someone starts reading the first page, to the moment they finish the last sentence, what has changed in your reader’s life?”
What new perspective does he have? How is she thinking about the topic differently now than before? What have they learned, discovered, or solved in their life after having read your book.
This line of questioning starts to clarify the transformation that will take place in your reader’s life as a result of reading your book. Thinking of it through the reader’s perspective is super helpful to “get out of your own way” and really focus on what information, knowledge, wisdom, stories and experience you want to impart to your reader.
How to Write a Book That Transforms Reader’s Lives – This video will help you craft the journey your reader goes on and visualize how their life will be different upon reading your book:
Another way to think about creating an outline and structuring your content is to think through how you already teach or talk about your area of expertise. Do you have a methodology that you developed? Is there a multi-part process that has helped your clients get results? What are the most important things to know about your topic and what is the best order for someone to learn them in?
These questions start to shed light on what the main sections of your book should be and how the chapters could be ordered.
It’s time to start writing! (…aka, holy cow what do I write first?!) When you start writing, my best advice is to write your BEST content first. Start writing about what you are most knowledgeable about, most excited to share, that has the most impact for the reader. Dive right into the deep end and get down the most valuable ideas first. You’ll feel an immediate sense of gratification by doing so, and avoid “paralysis by analysis” thinking about how or where to start.
When I wrote Lifestyle Entrepreneur: Live Your Dreams, Ignite Your Passions and Run Your Business from Anywhere in The World the first writing I did was on the actual framework I present on building a virtual business that can be run remotely. This was helpful in the sense that I didn’t spend time thinking about how to introduce myself, or which story to put at the beginning of Chapter 1, all of which is important, but ultimately a prelude to the primary topic the book is about.
You can think of this approach as starting from the inside and working your way out. You write about the thing that made you excited to write a book in the first place and pour yourself into that wholeheartedly. This starts to build momentum fast! Then from the middle, you write your way out to both sides; finishing up the writing process with your Introduction and Conclusion.
“Write your Best Ideas FIRST and Your Introduction LAST”
Build Momentum Writing Your Book
Once you’re past the starting line and have written down the beginnings of your best ideas, you should feel excited and enthusiastic that your book is coming together. Take a moment and appreciate that you are now actually writing a book, instead of talking about writing a book someday. Can you feel the difference?
Now the name of the game is building momentum and getting into a creative flow that will see you through to v1.0 of your manuscript. What I’ve seen countless times is authors start writing because they are passionate about their message and want to build credibility and become a recognized authority with a best-selling book, but worry that it takes too long to write a book and they don’t have the time.
Those are valid concerns, but if we look underneath the surface-level excuses, the real issues that come up during the writing process are of a deeper-seated nature; “Am I even qualified to write a book on this topic?” or “There’s already 20 books on this topic, what do I have to say that people haven’t heard before.” These thoughts and feelings don’t help, but they are just excuses from the ego or previous wounds trying to keep you “safe” by staying the same. Writing a book can drag all the skeletons out of the closet and focus your mind on your shadow instead of facing the light.
That is why it is important to build momentum writing through consistency and staying in touch with your big vision and goals, especially when you’re in the details of bringing your book to life.
No One Regrets Writing a Book (they only wish they started sooner) – Here is a video to motivate you any time you start getting derailed in the writing process:
Writing an Introduction as Your Final Act
As you write through your book and are creating content consistently, you come to a point where you see the light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, writing a book can feel like a never-ending journey, but just keep in mind that is a finite process. There is a beginning, a middle and an end to the process and as long as you keep at it, you’ll eventually get it all out.
Starting writing a book with an outline and a structure in mind is highly recommended, but so it giving yourself permission to call an audible and make adjustments as you’re writing. You have 100% permission to change the order of your book, write a brand new chapter, or remove a whole section of the book that no longer fits the evolving vision. Writing a book really is a balance between structure and planning versus spontaneity and creative flow.
For this reason, it is beneficial to write the Introduction as the final section you create.
A good introduction is a high-level overview of what the reader will learn and experience over the course of the book.
Once the book itself is substantially written, then it becomes easy to simply summarize and present the salient points of what you have just created.
Your Introduction should meet the reader right where they are right now, and paint a picture for how your book is going to get them where they want to be – What they will learn, what problem they will solve, what new technique they will master or what topic they will understand at a deeper level. In terms of meeting the reader where they are right now, think about the person you are writing this book for and what is going on in their head, their life, their business, their relationship right now that has led them to pick up your book. Speak to that from the very first page and you’ll hook their attention right away. From there you can pace their experience as you touch on the main topics, chapters, and ideas they will read about as each page turns.
Read Example Introductions to Best-Selling Non-Fiction Books
Complete Your Manuscript & Finish Your Book
With all of the main content in place, it is time to think about the additional content that, in total, comprises the entirety of your book. Here are some examples of sections additional to the main content in your book that are worth considering before starting the publishing process:
Acknowledgements – Who has been instrumental in you writing this book? Who’s names shall be immortalized in print that you are appreciative of whether or not they were involved in the book at all? This is a great section to spread the love around to the important people in your life and let them know how you feel.
Dedication – Is your book specifically for a a special someone? Are there a few people you would like to dedicate your book to, and what do you want to say to them? Some dedications are short and sweet, others can be a few sentences or even paragraphs. You can dedicate your book to your wife, or your readers, or anyone in between.
Works Cited / Suggested Reading – Does your book need a bibliography to catalog the books and works that made an appearance in your book? Are there specific books you would recommend your readers check out to round out their knowledge on the topic? This section let’s you credit the authors and books that influenced you, and point readers to new books they may enjoy.
Offer Pages – How can people work with you, hire you, or engage you professionally? I highly recommend including a dedicated page for each offer you have available. This could be an online training program, a live event, coaching opportunities or a podcast or blog of yours. Include a URL on each of these pages and consider providing a discount code that incentivizes readers to go further with you (and also lets you attribute new customers and clients to your book)
Celebrate and Prepare to Publish Your Book
Congratulations! You have written a book and that is a BIG accomplishment. Take a moment to reflect back on the journey and appreciate everything you learned in the process. Over 70% of all people say they want to write a book, but less than 1% ever actually do. That means you have leapfrogged everyone else who just talked about it and joined the 1% of authors who wrote an actual book 🙂
Do something to celebrate, and give yourself some time away from your manuscript to regain perspective and refocus on the big picture. The difficult part is behind you now and the next step is to begin the publishing process to bring your book to market. This transition from writing to publishing is where other people begin to get involved and your manuscript transforms to a finished book available to the world at large.
Here is an overview of the publishing process:
Editing – The right time to bring in an editor is once you have a manuscript they can evaluate in it’s entirety. A good editor will give you high-level feedback like how your book is structured, whether you should expand on certain sections, or consider revising other parts of the book, as well as detailed editorial feedback in your manuscript, marking up changes and leaving comments on the text for you to consider.
Cover Design – Your book cover is the first impression readers will have of your book. This is the visual representation of the content you’ve created and it needs to grab readers attention and compel them to pick up or download your book. Although it doesn’t sound nice, the world will judge your book by it’s cover, so invest the time and money to get it professionally designed. Take a survey of other books in your niche and notice what the best-selling books look like. How can yours both fit in as well as stand out?
Interior Design & Layout – This process completes the transformation from a “manuscript” to a “book”. The interior layout creates the reading experience and incorporates decisions like fonts used, illustrations within the text, quotes that are in breakout boxes, and any other design element that complements the text of the book.
Harry, the Wonder Cat, is no ordinary cat! Two centuries ago, he was tasked with caring for the Johnson family, helping them through life’s ups and downs. Fast forward to the present. This story begins when Nikki Johnson, accompanied by her close friend Heather Murphy, had planned her annual quiet and relaxing Christmas visit to Harrot Reef to visit her beloved Aunt Lynn.
Harry The Wonder Cat
Plans changed when Nikki’s aunt summoned her to come earlier because something was terribly wrong. The two friends arrived the next day to a shocking discovery. Loud howling led them to the library where they found Aunt Lynn’s crumpled body lying on the floor with her cat, Harry, next to her.
The two women landed in the middle of a mystery. The only clues consist of a teacup, a copy of Agatha Christie’s “The Mysterious Affair at Styles“, and a note on the mantle. This Christmas visit was going to be anything but quiet and relaxing.
The Legend of the Pink Diamond is a fantastical story passed down through generations of Johnsons and well known by the townspeople of Harrot Reef. A pink diamond is one of the most precious stones in the world, priceless and treasured for its beauty and rarity. As the story goes, accounts allege that one of these rare pink diamonds, mysteriously tied to crazy Frank Johnson, is still in the possession of the Johnson family.
But is it just a story? Harry’s magical powers help unravel the mystery behind the Legend of The Pink Diamond.
“Harry.”
Harry looked around and saw nothing but the ocean waves. As
far as the eye could see…nothing. A light mist was in the morning air,
and Harry could smell the scent of Spring. It had been a very cold
Winter this year. Harry was grateful for his three layers of fur. Maine
Coon cats were made for the cold, perfect for the freezing Maine
weather, but he still preferred Springtime because the birds came out
from hiding.
Rhoda
“Harry!”
Harry heard the voice again, but this time, it was more insistent.
“Over here.”
Harry turned to see another Maine Coon who he recognized
as his grandfather. He was massive; twice as big as Harry’s fifteen pounds. Harry’s mother had told him that he came from a long line of huge cats and not to worry. Some day he will be big enough to be worthy of the name “Gentle Giant”.
Harry heard the story about his grandfather, Sir Aslan, and how
he received his honorary title. He had proven himself worthy by
saving the princess from drowning. Of course, everyone knows that
Maine Coons are exceptionally good swimmers. Anyway, the Cat
King showed his gratitude by granting Sir Aslan his knighthood.
“Grand…I mean, Sir Aslan.” Harry bowed in front of his grandfather.
“Get up, Harry. I come to you today, not as Sir Aslan, but as your
grandfather.” Sir Aslan was beaming. “You have been nominated for
a knighthood and the Cat King is granting it.”
Ollie
Harry was visibly taken aback.
“B-b-but, Grandfather, I haven’t done anything,” Harry stuttered.
“I haven’t saved anyone like you did or…”
Sir Aslan held up his paw.
“Harry,” Grandfather Aslan stopped him. “The Cat King sees real promise in you, as do I.”
Harry humbly lowered his eyes. “Now, hold on to me and I’ll take us to the Cat Kingdom.”
When Harry opened his eyes, he was in another world. He gazed around and saw that the sky overhead appeared to be painted in pastel pinks, purples and blues. He marveled at the beauty of this magical world. Harry turned and saw a rainbow shoot out from the ground and arc over the huge castle before him. The sky was full of glitter, and music could be heard—its origins seemed like everywhere and nowhere at once. is was the magical land that Harry had only heard about: the land of the Cat Kingdom.
“All of this is for you, Harry.”
Sir Aslan smiled, patted Harry’s head and advanced toward the
gate house which protected the castle within. He looked over his
shoulder at his bewildered grandson and harshly whispered to a
stunned Harry, “Harry, come!”
Stu
Harry was shaken from his wonderment and ran to catch up with his grandfather. They slowly went through the gate house and Harry was humbled by the enormity of it. The cats who stood guard uncrossed their swords to let them in.
Once through the courtyard, they approached two more cats
who were as still as statues until simultaneously bowing in reverence.
“Sir Aslan.”
Harry was proud of the respect the other cats had shown for his grandfather. Maybe one day, it’ll be me that they bow to! The thought excited him…
“My promise to you is that by applying these proven tools, you will create immediate positive outcomes, personally and professionally.”
Jim Bird
Best-Selling Author of Redefining Work-Life Balance
Yes – There Is Work-Life Balance! … but it’s probably not what you think.
Too many academics and HR departments have defined work-life balance in superficial ways that make it unattainable, undesirable, or both. Common sense dictates that if something you desire is ill-defined or “impossible,” your outcomes will be disappointing and potentially even harmful. But sadly, common sense hasn’t been common practice.
Redefining Work-Life Balanceis about creating life-altering, positive results. These pages convey a way to deliver powerful results using simple, one-minute tools proven to enhance life balance and enjoyment. The outcome is reduced stress, increased achievement, and more joy every day – for the rest of your life.
Discover and enjoy easy-to-learn concepts with practical applications to:
Understand what work-life balance really means
Avoid the “As soon as…” trap
Establish a ‘Way of Living’ Goal – A powerful tool for crafting how you live every day
Accomplish your work-life priorities faster… and with less stress
Find a more rewarding and happier balance in all your relationships
Master the emotion-decision link with your personal emotional management tool
The tools and tactics in Redefining Work-Life Balance were refined while building a light manufacturing business from a small startup to generating over $100,000,000 in sales with a great team of 250+! That success and the success of thousands of clients is made possible by adapting and applying these tools, and respecting that in addition to having a job, each one of us has a life.
Create more achievement at work and more enjoyment in life with Redefining Work-Life Balance!
Part One of this book begins by dispelling the myth that there is no such thing as work-life balance. Instead, it delivers a proven re-definition that is clear, fulfilling, and attainable, along with a tool set that will enhance the value and positive balance you get from life – today and every day.
Part Two is about people and relationships. You will learn two powerful one-minute tools that can be applied to your life immediately. The outcome is having a more rewarding, less stressed, and happier balance with the important individuals in your personal and work life. In each chapter, you will also see examples from people who have generously shared their personal stories and experiences in implementing these tools.
Part Three is about achieving the things you want in life. It delivers two tools that supercharge your thinking. You will get more good thinking done with each of these tools in minutes than most people get done in days, weeks, or even a lifetime of typical pondering.
You will also discover two balance measurement tools: one gauges your emotional status and reactions, the other illuminates your current emphasis in life and enables you to adjust it easily if it is not where you want it to be.
Part Four concludes these pages using your definition of a good work-life balance to clarify your Way of Life goals. These goals are not specific markers to surpass or milestones to accomplish, they are instead way of living goals. What are the most meaningful and important outcomes you want from your life every day? You will be surprised how quickly these meaningful and often life-changing goals become clear with this final tool in the book.
My promise to you is that by applying these proven tools, you will create immediate positive outcomes, personally and professionally.
More importantly, based on the feedback I have received across demographics, countries, and cultures, I expect that you too will retain and use your favorite tools along with your re-definition of work-life balance to be happier, less stressed, and more fulfilled over your lifetime.
Let’s turn the page and redefine work-life balance in a way that works for you!
Start Reading Redefining Work-Life Balance Now
One-Minute Tools to Manage Stress, Achieve More and Enjoy Life Every Day
Do you know that the #1 fear in America is public speaking?
Put another way, more people are afraid of speaking in front of other people than jumping out of an airplane(?!)
Underneath that fear are the contributing factors like lacking confidence, feeling unprepared, not knowing how to move when you talk, etc.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could nail the mechanics and the emotions of delivering a captivating talk that connects with your audience and closes the deal?
That is exactly what Dr. Laura Sicola teaches you to do in Speaking to Influence: Mastering Your Leadership Voice which is out today wherever books are sold! (…and she would know, her TED Talk has over 5,000,000 views!)
When you speak, whether on stage, in a meeting or on the telephone, ask yourself:
Do you feel confident and captivate your audience?
Do you command the room naturally, and feel like you are completely connecting with your audience?
Do you feel like you get the full respect you deserve and the results you want?
Are you recognized as a leader that people genuinely want to follow and support?
If you’re like most people, your response to many and even most of these questions is, “No, but I want to!” If that’s the case, then this book is for you.
Speaking to Influence is all about helping you understand how the way that you speak has a powerful effect on your ability to influence your surroundings, your relationships, your reputation, and your potential to succeed.
In Speaking to Influence, Dr. Laura Sicola walks you through the three key channels of speech communication and how they need to work together for people not just to “get it” when you talk, but also to “get you.”
“If you’re a working mom, get this book and create a life of better balance, more fulfillment, and a happier family.”
– Jack Canfield – NY Times Bestselling Author of Chicken Soup for the Soul
Today it is my pleasure to introduce our latest release: A Working Mother’s GPS: A Guide to Parenting Success for the Modern Working Mom by Atara Malach
If you’ve ever felt road-weary from trying to navigate new and difficult stages of parenting while also steering your career in the right direction, you know the stresses of the modern working mother.
Atara’s time-tested program for regaining control of your home and career is based on the logical approach of leading with authority, trust, and love. In this book, you’ll learn how to:
Parent competently and confidently by implementing the GPS method, which is based on the universally recognized traffic-light colors and road signs;
Use the GPS skills and tactics with your toddler as well as with your older children; there’s no need to change parenting skills as your child changes over the years;
Customize this GPS parenting method to your own specific family situations (single moms/blended family) so that you are always in the driver’s seat, feeling empowered;
Apply these exact same GPS parenting skills in your workplace to enhance your career and create similar, amazing results!
Using language you’re already familiar with, Atara’s methods are clearly stated, simple to implement, and grounded in practicality and flexibility. The techniques are adaptable for your family’s unique needs and easily transferable to your workplace.
Wishing you a Happy Friday and kicking off something that I may make a weekly affair depending on how this goes: Free Book Friday! Doesn’t that have a nice ring to it? 🙂
Today you can win a free audiobook edition of INSIDE: A Guide to the Resources Within to Stay Connected to Your Truth, Even in Trying Times by Sarah Brassard.
What I’d like to know is: What is your self-care regimen look like? Share what you do to prioritize self-care in your life and I’ll be choosing 5 people to gift a complimentary copy of the INSIDE audiobook.
LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW to Be Entered in the AudioBook Giveaway
I always make self-care a priority as it is too easy to get burned out, lose motivation and not be at 100% if I don’t. Here’s what my daily and weekly self-care regimen looks like in an ideal week:
Each Morning: Upon waking up the first thing I do is go outside, stretch and do a 10-minute yoga sequence barefoot on my grass lawn. I’ve been doing this every morning for close to 15 years and have found that doing yoga barefoot on grass is – quite literally – a grounding experience.
Then I’ll have a black coffee and write, whether that’s an email like this or writing a chapter for my next book (The Art of Creation).
After yoga, coffee and writing I’ll hit the gym and do 30-45 minutes of exercise, switching between weights and cardio each day. Then I’ll hit the sauna and sweat for 10-15 minutes and take a cold shower (what a way to wake up!)
I’m usually done with all this and headed home by 9:30am, where I’ll have a protein shake and prepare to dive into the day’s activities.
I’ve found that having this morning sequence dialed-in helps me stay consistent and I don’t spend much time thinking about what I should do, I just get up and start going through the motions.
Weekly Self-Care:
Ideally once per week I’ll do a candlelight yin yoga class in the evening. Yin yoga is all about long, slow holds of poses and quieting the mind while relaxing and restoring the nervous system.
Once every one or two weeks I’ll get a Chinese-style massage, the kind where you soak your feet in water and they massage your face and head as well as feet and body.
On the weekends I’ll take a hike or do an outdoor activity – if I’m in Vegas, then I go out to the open desert, if I’m traveling then I find somewhere to explore outdoors.
Any week where I do 80% of those things tends to be a highly productive, enjoyable and balanced week.
For me self-care is more about having a practice and mostly sticking to it, then creating any new source of stress by expecting I’ll do everything, every week and then feeling bad about missing something.
So, what is your self-care regimen? How do you balance the activities, stresses and expectations of life with time to relax and restore?
Share Your Self-Care Regimen in The Comments Below to Win a free Audiobook of INSIDE by Sarah Brassard
Five years ago this month I made a decision. After self-publishing my first book, The Entrepreneurs Guidebook, I had caught the attention of a publisher in Malaysia, who published the first edition of Lifestyle Entrepreneur.
That experience of traveling around Asia and speaking about lifestyle design & entrepreneurship, meeting people who told me my book inspired them, in turn, inspired me. So I attended a number of author events in America and found a publisher to release and updated and expanded edition of Lifestyle Entrepreneur.
All the preparation and anticipation eliminated in my book coming out stateside in March 2014. It was then that I made a decision to start a publishing company. I had been informally advising a few author friends and the experience of helping their books come to life, coupled with my own nascent success as an author all pointed the way.
I put together a business plan for Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press and flew to Shanghai to meet a wealthy investor friend of mine. Sitting high above The Bund, overlooking the Shanghai skyline I recorded the audiobook for Lifestyle Entrepreneur in a most appropriate fashion and prepared to present my plan for the publishing company, along with a request for $50,000 to get it off the ground.
We met in the Roosevelt Club, an exclusive VIP members club overlooking the riverfront and iconic skyscrapers of Pudong. Besides a delicious meal and engaging conversation, nothing else came from it. But my decision was made. So I self-funded the publishing business to get it off the ground.
In those early days I did it all; advise on content, hire editors, work closely with cover designers, develop the launch strategy and build and run ads for each launch.
One thing led to another and we had some initial successes. So I launched a training course, then started hosting live events, Bestseller Summit Live in 2015, 2016 & 2017. I hired staff, empowered them, built a culture and an audience, built meaning in the name Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press.
“The hardest working man in the book business,” one author said. “The author’s secret weapon,” said another. For the love of books, I went all in. Invested everything I had. Leveraged myself to accelerate and go from strength to strength, disregarding anything that wasn’t inline with my vision.
Soon we had dozens of authors, signed a distribution deal and – 3 years later – actually didraise $50,000. The team grew, payroll grew, my responsibilities and obligations grew and for the love of books I leaned in further at every opportunity.
For years I wanted Ingram Publisher Services to be our distribution and sales partner. For years we just weren’t big enough yet. Then, last year at BookExpo NY we had a corner booth, exhibiting for the second year in a row with back-to-back author signings, me a proud publisher watching our authors work the floor, sign books, shake hands and press the flesh just I like did many years ago…and then it happened!
The director of publisher acquisitions for Ingram Publisher Services came by our booth and all our authors turned on the charm. We sat down, talked numbers and agreed to follow-up soon. When he walked away I dropped to my knees in the middle of the conference floor and thanked God for the opportunity.
This, less than one year ago. We signed the deal. Fate paved a way to get out of our previous distribution deal 18 months before the term and now I am sitting in Nashville, TN after previewing our Fall 2019 releases to the 50+ sales team at Ingram Global HQ.
For the love of books, I never gave up. For the love of books, there was always just enough. For the love of books, 5 years later we have 90+ books under contract and despite the extreme emotional roller coaster that I’ve been on for the last half a decade, I have never been more excited, never been more committed, never been more optimistic for the glorious future that lies ahead.
Not just for the next 5 years, but the next 50 and the next 500 because books have an infinite shelf life. And the work I’m doing now, the moment I am in now working on close to 20 books at once will transcend me. It will live on long after I’m gone, will inspire and instruct the next generation to passionately pursue their every dream.
The first time I met Daniel Munro, he wasn’t yet envisioning becoming an author and I wasn’t a publisher.
It was 2012, and Dan was working as a probation officer while using his spare time to study personal development. During his exploration, he picked up a copy of my best-selling book, “Lifestyle Entrepreneur,” and was inspired by the lessons he encountered.
Shortly after reading my book, Dan was driven to do something different — to step outside the rat race.
That “something different” was to write a book conveying many of the ideas and the methodology he’d developed through his own studies.
Dan spent two solid weeks over the Christmas holidays writing the first draft of what would eventually become “The Legendary Life: Build the Motivation and Confidence to Create an Authentic Lifestyle.”
But it wasn’t quite there yet. After sharing his manuscript with a handful of friends and family, they ripped the draft to shreds.
Based on their feedback, he tripled the word count, adding examples, stories, and layers of authenticity to his book.
The goal was to share his knowledge with a wider audience and establish himself as a “confidence coach,” helping others towards the discoveries he’d made himself.
When he finally felt he was ready, he self-published his book to Amazon Kindle. He pushed the “publish” button and the labor of love was met with… crickets.
He sold about five copies …mostly to people he knew.
Dan did some research on publishing with a traditional publisher and even wrote query letters to almost a dozen agents, hoping one would agree to represent him.
Only one responded, and they said no.
Publishing seemed like a closed system — you couldn’t get in unless you were already in. And Dan was securely on the outside — or so he thought.
Because of this, Dan resigned to himself that he’d never be an author, so to speak, but that the book he wrote would be a resource he’d give to his coaching clients.
And then Dan happened to send me a nice email, thanking me for the knowledge that set him on the path to writing his own book and establishing a new career path.
That’s how our relationship began.
I answered quickly, and a correspondence began. Within short order, it came up that Dan had written and self-published a book of his own.
A few more exchanges, and suddenly Dan had a new publisher — Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press.
Working with Dan was a no-brainer. I had a personal connection with him and our value aligned.
Dan used his book to build a business and Dan used Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press to raise his profile and reach a larger, international audience with his ideas and message.
Also, the idea of having a physical book, not just an electronic version, was alluring — and something that seemed a distant possibility after his first, failed attempts at getting traction with his self-published book.
Publishing Dan’s book was a collaborative process. I gave Dan an informed expert opinion on elements like design and marketing. But the decision was eventually up to him. I made sure Dan felt in control of the process to the extent he wanted to be.
The result in early 2015?
A polished, professional manuscript published in Kindle and paperback, which has reached #1 status in the Self-Esteem, Psychology & Counseling and Creativity categories of Amazon and continues to bring new clients to Dan month after month.
Dan says he regularly hears from readers who have devoured his book and want to work with him more deeply.
He thinks that having a book helps in several ways:
First, it’s an instant badge of authority that positions himself as a trustworthy expert.
Also, people who have taken the time to read his book and absorb his ideas have already determined whether they’re on board with his program.
The book has been so instrumental in building his coaching business that Dan’s second book, “Nothing to Lose: Using Curiosity to Destroy Hesitation, Procrastination and Limiting Beliefs,” is slated to be published by Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press this October.
It’s the first in what he plans to be a three-book trilogy, something he couldn’t have imagined a few years ago.
Another benefit of having a bestselling book is the amplification of Dan’s big ideas and messages.
While he may have originally written the book as a way to document his ideas and methodology, he did so with the intent of sharing them with a wider audience.
When asked what he’d say to other aspiring authors, Dan responds that self-publishing successfully is nearly impossible unless you have excellent writing, design and marketing skills — which is rare to find in a single person.
In contrast, the “big” publishing world is closed to anyone without a ready-made platform of tens if not hundreds of thousands.
Don’t let the fears and doubts and blocks that usually hogtie aspiring authors hold you back.
Anyone can be a published author.
If you have the ability to send me an email, you have the ability to write a book.
Pre-order a copy of Dan’s forthcoming book “Nothing to Lose: Using Curiosity to Destroy Hesitation, Procrastination and Limiting Beliefs.”
Meet Daniel Munro and many other inspiring authors at Bestseller Summit Live, October 28-30 in Los Angeles!
Registration closes this week, come join us in LA for the premiere author event of 2016 🙂
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