A BOOK MAKES YOU A CONVERSATION LEADER

When I was promoting my novel, Chasing Sylvia Beach, I found a way to share the book’s message that didn’t feel like I was always shouting, “Buy my book!” Instead, I paired two things that are important to me: life-changing conversations and leadership. I love rich conversations that bring out new ways of thinking and being.

In my work as a coach, I get to talk with people about what’s truly important to them. We dig deep to find the truth of their life and work and then seek ways to express that more on a daily basis.

Leadership is also important to me. I believe that creative people and women are leaders. We have experiences that differ from the male experience. Now more than ever, we have the opportunity to initiate conversations to make the world a better place.

A book can serve as a conversation leader and an emissary, bringing your message to the world and leading the conversations you want to have. Women are being called to speak up and speak out like never before. Our voices and ideas are needed to help build a new way of being. And it’s never been easier to write a book and get it out into the world.

When you think about your book, return to your rallying cry. Conversations and leadership matter to me. What matters to you?

At the core of your book are the things you care about deeply. Your book holds the key to the change you want to see in the world. There are many reasons to write a book, among them:

• To share your work with a larger audience.
• To claim your authority in your field so you can attract more opportunities.
• To tell the story that changed your life so it inspires others.

Each of these reasons is valid and may motivate you to write.

I found it helpful to have a reason connected to one of my core values—a reason that got me excited to do the work of writing and promoting, even when it felt scary. For me, it is about starting conversations, and a book is a conversation starter. My values of communication and life-changing conversations allowed me to think of the themes in my novel in a different way. When it came time to write articles and guest posts about my book, it was much easier to come from the place of initiating a discussion rather than marketing my book and trying to get someone to buy it.

Saying you are an author and sharing the content of your book leads to conversations that you want to have. Our conversations can change the way we think, what we believe and how we act. The world has plenty of problems that need solutions. They need you, someone with something to say, to take the lead and offer your insights and expertise. Write your book. Lead the conversation.

EXERCISE

Make a list of the conversations that might spring up around the topics in your book.

What do you want to be sure to talk about when discussing the book? These ideas can also be used as talking points when preparing for interviews about the book. Add to this list throughout the process of writing the book.

This is an excerpt from my book, The Busy Woman’s Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book. If you’re ready to write your book and want support along the way, this is the guide for you. Available wherever books are sold in paperback, e-book and audio book.