Practicing what we preach is, well … hard. I always tell authors to write regularly and consistently, but it turns out it's much harder to do yourself. That said, I've been away from this newsletter for a while — I was busy launching my website for The Good Author, where I'll share ebooks, DIY publicity materials, articles, interviews with authors, industry insiders, and more. But this newsletter will remain free, so please share it!
Here we go, resurrecting this newsletter with a slight change … now it's simplified to "3 Things on a Tuesday" because 3 is my favorite number, and it's almost always the right number of things to think about at any one time. Enjoy! - Carina
SOMETHING TO READ
Just because you wrote a book does not mean you're a natural speaker or public person. In fact, if you wrote a book, you likely spent a lot of time alone writing. Unfortunately, our culture grossly over-rewards extroverts, but in Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain, Susan Cain beautifully explains how the quiet leadership of introverts holds power if we learn to embrace our quiet inner selves. As someone who considers myself an ambivert (with a hard lean toward introvert as I get older), I fully appreciate the ability to work alone but still collaborate with teams. Despite being a publicist whose job is to promote others, I struggle with self-promotion and understand authors who do, as well. This book is a defense of quiet leadership, excellent listeners, insightful minds, and the power of successful introverts.
SOMETHING TO WATCH
No time to read a whole book? No problem. You can watch Susan Cain's viral TED Talk, "the power of introverts" — viewed 32 million times (not bad for an introvert).
(click the video image to view)
SOMETHING TO LISTEN TO
I can't think of something better for authors to listen to than this interview with #1 New York Times best-selling author of Atomic Habits, James Clear, on the Tim Ferriss podcast (both of whom are self-proclaimed introverts, by the way). In it, Clear lays out exactly how he got to where he is now as an author, explaining in detail the steps he took to build an audience that includes an email list with millions of subscribers. While there are many, many things worth listening to in this interview, I've pulled the segment I want to emphasize MOST, where he talks about the importance and value of building a body of work over time, and that includes doing small things that over 3, 5, or 6 years can lead to significant things. This clip is essential for a couple of reasons: first, it shows the value of building over time. Second, it shows that saying yes to small things can lead to big things!
In this clip, he answers the question, "What is the work that keeps working for you once it's done?" and shares the story of how one insignificant blog he wrote resulted in an interview on CBS This Morning and later a second interview that launched, Atomic Habits, which became a #1 NYT Bestseller.
(click the image to listen)
QUOTE TO INSPIRE
"I live by these three words: patience, passion, persistence. That is how I run my company; that is how I run my life. Things take time, be patient. Persistence is a good thing. You don't have to be a fly about it, but you do have to be passionate enough not to sit and take no."
- Yvette Noel-Schure, Beyoncé's powerhouse publicist, who has worked by her side since 1997
If you enjoyed this, please share it with friends!
If you were forwarded this message, you can subscribe below.