Archive for May 2016

One of the things I loved most about this years Promo Day was how real everyone was. Everyone was sharing tips, tricks, and strategies, but all without sales pitches and promises. They were honest and down to Earth.

As creatives we love the freedom to express ourselves, and that should happen in all aspects of our work. Whether we're writing, drawing, or marketing and building our brand. In fact, when we step out of the mainstream mould that's when the magic happens.

This morning as I was checking my emails I read one I'd received from Regina from http://byregina.com/ (she has some awesome stuff on her website by the way, and I highly recommend signing up for her newsletter). Well, this mornings email was entitled "Don't leave the Matrix just to join an internet cult". It really hit home as it backed up some of the points raised during Saturdays Promo Day event.

"Don't let someone else define your world and your life for you."

It can be so easy to get sucked into the tunnel of advice that we forget about our own goals and feel like we're doing something wrong. We get obsessed with figures and spend our time searching for ways to increase our followings and feel bad when we don't get the results we've seen others get. Why are they getting awesome results when we're doing the same things and seeing nothing?

I'm guilty of being sucked into the tunnel, and I'm sure that you are too to a certain extent. Well, it's time to change that.

I'd love to be making 100K+ a month (heck, I'd like to be making that in a year!), but it's not realistic. Sure there are people doing it. They are usually very vocal about their success too. They pull you into their "friends" group and offer advice on how you too can see results like theirs. When you don't though you feel bad. You feel confused. You feel like you're doing something wrong....

Guess what? You are. You forgot about the most important asset you have. YOU. If you love what you do, and share about it with genuine enthusiasm people will feel your vibe. By not falling into the mainstream mould you stand out and people appreciate your uniqueness.

Our goal is not to fit in, but to stand out.

Stacey Keith talked about how her Facebook community grew without having a specific strategy in mind during our live panel discussion during Promo Day (You can watch the whole video chat here if you missed it). She mentioned how she just posts about things that interest her, and how she has never really thought about technical online marketing strategies like hashtags. She just keeps it real, and guess what? She has a large, and very interactive community.

We need to think less about statistics and sales that can make us feel inadequate, and concentrate more on what makes us happy. This is why I'll be making some changes over the coming months.

- I'll be spending more time writing my books. My works in progress somehow slipped down my priority list and ended up being neglected.
- I'll be organising my content so you can find what you need faster.
- I'll be doing more webinars and e-courses (both free and paid) as I love helping people.
- I'll be redesigning my monthly newsletter.
- I'll be making more premade book covers. I love doing these! I can't believe I waited so long to get started.

Do you ever feel like you've been pulled into an internet cult?

Book Review: The Murder That Never Was by Andrea Kane #readinglist #lovebooks @partnersincr1me

Today I'm reviewing The Murder that never was by Andrea Kane. I got sent a free copy of this book to review as part of a virtual book tour organised by Partners In Crime. I'm giving this book a 4 star rating.

If you like mystery, crime, thrillers, etc... you'll want to check this one out.

About the book:

"Given the opportunity, would you assume someone else's identity and leave your old life behind? A serendipitous crossing of paths between Lisa Barnes, a down-on-her-luck job seeker, and Julie Forman, a personal trainer to an Olympic hopeful, forever changes the course of both women's lives. One winds up dead and the other finds herself a fugitive, hiding behind one lie after another as a cold-blooded killer methodically hunts her. Desperately trying to stay alive, the terrified woman enlists the help of Forensic Instincts, a rogue investigative team that clandestinely operates in the gray area between legal and illegal. Safeguarding their client's deception, Forensic Instincts digs into dangerous territory as they try to find out who's after their client and why. Meanwhile, bodies are piling up in Chicago, New Jersey, and Vermont as a megalomaniacal genius will stop at nothing to eradicate anyone who threatens the success of his medical breakthrough. With an unhinged client and a monstrous criminal enterprise as its adversary, Forensic Instincts is forced into uncharted territory to protect their client and save one of their own from becoming the next corpse. Forensic Instincts is an unorthodox, criminal investigative team that carefully navigates the fine line between legal and illegal. The team consists of a behaviorist, a former Navy SEAL, a techo-wiz, an intuitive, a pickpocket, a retired FBI agent, and a human scent evidence dog."

Watch the video for the full review: