What made that part difficult to write?

In this workshop, Des Dreckett from The Content Revenue Lab joins the Self Publishing for Leaders community to share exactly how authors can use YouTube to build a loyal reader audience, drive consistent book sales, and create income streams beyond the book itself. Des built a full-time income from a small YouTube audience in under four weeks, and he is bringing those same strategies to authors who are ready to show up on camera and grow. https://www.skool.com/publishing-for-professionals-9809/calendar?eid=cf14bcdb562e4dcb96cba194e5eb51f6

This week we're pulling up a chair for @Joanna Kasner, a VIP member who is writing a brave book! Here's a little about her and the book she's pouring herself into. Joanna's book, Born to a Stranger, is an autobiography told through the eyes of a fourteen-year-old girl who had to grow up before she was ready. She raised four beautiful boys, and she learned life right alongside them. In between the trauma and the tears were moments of growth, joy, laughter, and real adventure, and those are the moments she is putting on the page. She is writing for Gen-X readers who raised children and for anyone who has ever felt unheard or unseen. The nudge to begin writing her memoir came from the people who know her best. At a family barbecue, her three granddaughters, ages 23, 20, and 18, started reminiscing about their lives together, and they told her, "Grandma, you should write about your life experiences." A few conversations later, she began to write. What keeps her going is what writing gives her. It has empowered her to step out of her comfort zone by being honest and vulnerable on the page. That same vulnerability is also the hardest part of the journey. Writing about the raw, unflinching moments of her life is not easy, and when it gets heavy, she reaches out to her family for strength and encouragement. They remind her why she needs to keep moving forward. Inside the community, one idea shifted how she approaches her whole book. A line from fellow member @John Elcik became a turning point for her: the idea that you can be honest without becoming unguarded, and personal without making the reader carry your emotions, staying vulnerable enough to build trust while still holding a little back for yourself. That balance changed the way she writes her most tender chapters. Her advice for the writer who is sitting on a book idea and hasn't started yet is simple and worth sitting with. Ask yourself two questions. Why do you want to write this book, and how important is it to you?

Ready for book marketing ideas that you may not have heard of before? I've got some neat ideas that I've used in the past to market my book, The Guide to Traveling Gluten Free, and I'm sharing them with you in this course. It's free to any member who reaches level 5. How do you get to Level 5? Post and reply to others, earn 1 point per like, and work your way up! https://www.skool.com/publishing-for-professionals-9809/classroom/643a25eb?md=cdc46db237d84a169a0babc0b1e69668

Hey everyone, here's a quick video walking you through updates to our community events, and I wanted to share the highlights here too so nothing slips past you. First, a heads up on timing. I recently changed some event times based on real data about when most members are online. Many sessions that used to run at 8 am PST have moved to 11 am PST, so if you had an old time in your head, check the calendar and update it. When you click on any event, it will also tell you whether your membership level includes access, so it's easy to see what's open to you. Adding events to your own calendar is simple. Click the event, hit Add to Calendar, and choose from Google, Apple, Outlook, and a few other options. It will download the event, and from there you can pull it from your downloads and add it to your personal calendar. My tip: if it's a repeating event you love, add all the upcoming dates at once so you never have to think about it again. Now for the upcoming Guest Workshops I'm genuinely excited about! On August 18th, Des Dreckett joins us for Market Your Book on YouTube. A fantastic session if you want to grow your reach on video. On September 1st, we have a free guest workshop with Laura from Tertulia on author website essentials. She's even sharing a discount link for Tertulia, so you'll want to show up live. On October 13th, I'm co-hosting Write Your Way to Funding with Danielle Desir, all about how to win grants to fund your creative projects. That includes books, music, art, any creative work, not just writing. If funding your project has been on your mind, put this one on your calendar now. A couple of things to know about our guest workshops. They happen on Tuesdays at 11 am Pacific, and they're always spaced at least two weeks apart so I have time to give each incredible guest the spotlight they deserve. ***New workshops get added regularly; check the calendar each week to see what's popping up next. Watch the video, then jump in and start adding events to your calendar.