Notes from Minnesota

In today’s show, I’m honored to chat with Jody J. Sperling from The Reluctant Marketer Podcast. We discuss:

* Conquering fear, particularly reticence to market your writing.

* Consistency vs Perfection. Which is more powerful?

* Getting overwhelmed with social media. How do you choose your best avenue?

* Jody’s most incredible piece of social media advice. This is huge. It actually transformed my feed.

* How his new book, “The Seven Figure Marketing Mindset for Authors” can make marketing your next project exponentially more effective.

* Conferences, Masterminds, Clubs… oh my! Some are great. Others? Avoid ‘em.

* What is your most important asset? Here’s how to protect it.

* Check out Jody’s writing process.

* Do you select a niche or does the niche select you?

* Jody outlines what’s working for him in the field of writing and publishing.

* What he’d do differently if he were starting a writing career today.

* Finally, Jody covers the formula and/or secret to successful marketing on the web.

That’s a lot to cover in a quick 35 minutes but that’s exactly what we do. So, fasten your seat belt and enjoy the ride.

Website links: Jody’s website: https://TheReluctantBookMarketer.com (You can find his book here, too!)

Beth’s websites: https://BethAnnErickson.com and https://FilbertPublishing.com

Today I discuss two marketing methods I encountered last week. It’s an interesting exercise with lessons for every creative entrepreneur including…

* Red flags that screamed one marketing method wouldn’t suit my style

* Whether “gamifying” a hiring process worked with my mindset

* How I evaluated whether a creative process would work long term

* How another marketing guru broke every marketing “rule” and is currently experiencing tremendous success (as well as viral exposure)

* How this “guru” appears to balance life and work

* How you can benefit from this compare and contrast situation to make your marketing efforts sane

I hope you enjoy today’s podcast! If you find it helpful, please forward it to a creative entrepreneur you care about. 🙂

In today’s installment of Notes from Minnesota, I discuss…

* Three mistakes that can hurt your creative career

* A brief primer on some writing scams

* How to identify to whom you’re writing

* What to include in queries and proposals

* Some creative traps to avoid

We’ll cover a lot today so fasten your seat belt!

In today’s (much delayed) Notes from Minnesota podcast, Beth explains where she’s been lo these many months. She also discusses:

* Why it’s important to explore physical reasons for symptoms that affect mood

* Why your doctor is a fabulous resource!

* When medication side effects are the best

* Where Filbert Publishing is headed.

Enjoy today’s episode!

 

(Hey! You can listen to this entire newsletter here!)

Hey Creative Entrepreneur!

Well, this isn’t an announcement I was figuring I’d make.

It’s been an interesting few weeks since last we spoke.

The excitement came on a Friday afternoon when my dear husband entered my office saying, “I think you need to drive me to Willmar.” (Willmar is the next small town down the road, the one with the regional hospital.)

“Sure,” I said, “just let me finish what I’m doing.”

“I think we should go now.”

So, off we went. Little did I know I wouldn’t finish my project any time soon. Nor would I resume anything that resembled a “regular” day for quite some time.

Things like that happen when your husband experiences his second heart attack…

I share all the details in today’s podcast. Check it out here:

Beth 🙂

P.S. I hope you enjoy today’s feature article! I included this particular excerpt in honor of my husband’s heart attack. It’s sobering (and liberating) to realize how little control we have over our lives. As a creative entrepreneur, I hope you will find today’s message comforting and useful as you navigate your own challenges. Enjoy!

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When positive thinking, affirmations, and plowing through resistance doesn’t dissolve your creative block, perhaps it’s time to try something new…

“Creative blocks don’t exist.” “Change your attitude.” “Just blast through your block.” I heard it all; every trite band aid solution to my very complex, creative block.

Truth was, a life changing medical challenge didn’t fill me with inspiration. It wasn’t a positive transformative experience, either.

Instead, I found myself navigating a crazy maze of emotions and head scratching moments. With each new blow, with every new reality, I realized I had a tangle of issues to unwind before I could resume my creative life. Perhaps you’re in the same boat.

If you’ve found yourself with a dream, a higher goal, but just can’t get started… this book’s for you. It’s for every dreamer, aspirerer, gentle soul who wants to achieve their life purpose, but can’t seem to get on the path.

Each short chapter contains a bit of my personal story, applications to your situation, as well as prompts to help you untangle your inability to get moving. You’ll also receive a unique set of tools in the Bonus Tool Chest in the final section. You can also download the official “Stuck” meditation.

My hope is that STUCK will give you everything you need to venture forth and create the life you know you were born to lead.

Check it out here.

Thanks!

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When Life Throws You a Curve Ball

An Excerpt from Stuck: Transforming Everything You Think You Know About Creative Blocks

That’s the thing with creative blocks. My first, insurmountable block formed when I realized how little control I had over my own body. It blew my mind to consider that despite my healthy lifestyle, I could get felled by such a grave diagnosis (cancer). I perused my family tree and realized that I… the family “health freak…” was probably going to kick the bucket long before some of my couch potato relatives who smoked, drank, enjoyed processed foods; people who did little to nothing (in my then-haughty opinion) to maintain their health.

That one realization threw me for a loop. Sadly, that particular loop would trip me for quite a while.

I thought a healthy lifestyle would reduce my chances of receiving a cancer diagnosis… certainly a colon cancer diagnosi...

Not in the mood to read? Listen here!

Hey Creative Entrepreneur!

I recently discovered a dear friend and longtime subscriber has succumbed to melanoma. I was not only stunned, but profoundly saddened, I felt as though my world suddenly felt a little less sparkly. While I know she’s in a better place, I also feel so incredibly sad whenever I think of a world without her.

She was somebody who continually challenged me, made me think a little deeper; I always felt like my view of the world became a little bit wider when I interacted with her. I decided to grapple with my grief in a constructive way and go through some of my correspondence with her.

It wasn’t long before I found a small plaque with one of her favorite prayers etched on it. I read it silently.

Then, I stumbled onto the phrase that totally blew me away; it completely unraveled another so-called complicated aspect of creative blocks.

Uff, BarbaraJo. You’re still challenging me from beyond the grave.

And that’s exactly what I discuss in today’s episode of Notes for Minnesota.

Enjoy!

Beth 🙂

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When positive thinking, affirmations, and plowing through resistance doesn’t dissolve your creative block, perhaps it’s time to try something new…

“Creative blocks don’t exist.” “Change your attitude.” “Just blast through your block.” I heard it all; every trite band aid solution to my very complex, creative block.

Truth was, a life changing medical challenge didn’t fill me with inspiration. It wasn’t a positive transformative experience, either.

Instead, I found myself navigating a crazy maze of emotions and head scratching moments. With each new blow, with every new reality, I realized I had a tangle of issues to unwind before I could resume my creative life. Perhaps you’re in the same boat.

If you’ve found yourself with a dream, a higher goal, but just can’t get started… this book’s for you. It’s for every dreamer, aspirerer, gentle soul who wants to achieve their life purpose, but can’t seem to get on the path.

Each short chapter contains a bit of my personal story, applications to your situation, as well as prompts to help you untangle your inability to get moving. You’ll also receive a unique set of tools in the Bonus Tool Chest in the final section. You can also download the official “Stuck” meditation.

My hope is that STUCK will give you everything you need to venture forth and create the life you know you were born to lead.

Check it out here

Thanks!

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The Misunderstood Concept of Creative Blocks

One of my pet peeves is hanging out on Facebook and discovering a wannabe helpful person post over simplified meme implying that creative blocks are the result of laziness, the inability to buckle down, the wrong mindset, some sort of failure in the law of attraction, you name it, you’ll find a meme to disparage anybody who isn’t a highfalutin, content creating, word slinging beast.

Truth is, if you had asked me about creative blocks only a few years ago, I probably wouldn’t have had that much trouble with those types of memes. Sure, I would have probably put a little thought into my answer, but those silly images never would have chapped my hide the same way they do today.

Truth is, as with most situations, creative blocks can fairly complex with solutions that take more than just a “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” mentality.

I should know.

Hey Creative Entrepreneur!

I know it’s been a while. I’m still dealing with some interesting complications from my nasty Covid diagnosis. Gotta say, I feel better than I have in a long time, but I still have a ways to go.

In the meantime, have I ever got a story for you! Turns out, during the dark days of the pandemic, we wound up finding a kitten. On the side of a busy highway. With a broken leg!

It’s an interesting tale (ha), but too long to detail here. However, if you’re a cat lover who adores rescue stories, this one’s a doozie. You can listen to the whole story here:

And to celebrate Filbert Publishing’s newest addition, I’m dedicating this entire issue to… cats. 😛

Enjoy!

Beth 🙂

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30 Seconds. Five Steps. Reclaim Your Power.

What if you could achieve lifelong dreams, rediscover joy, reclaim your schedule… act rather than react… all due to a process that takes (sometimes less!) than 30 seconds?

With Pocket Power, you’ll discover a simple five-step practice, one that’s easy to remember, even easier to implement, that will equip you with everything you need to transform your life. Within these pages you’ll discover:

* A most efficient technique to easily break unproductive cycles and get you back on track… fast

* How to enlist the aid of loved ones to help you achieve your dream (Bonus: they’ll be happy to lend you a hand!)

* If you’re a naturally helpful, kind person, that’s fantastic! The Pocket Power lifestyle is based on empathy, kindness, and above all… love

* A complete toolkit to help you make your new (and awesome) lifestyle permanent

Remember your aspirations? Dreams? The reason you were born? The goals you left by the wayside when reality dictated you take a different path? Pocket Power will help you reclaim those dreams and make them a reality.

You can listen to the entire audiobook for only 2.99 here:

Why so inexpensive, you ask? Online audiobook retailers take a huge cut of the retail price. And to thank you for letting us test this new delivery system, if you use this promo code…

HalfOff

… you’ll get the entire audiobook for (around) the price of a candy bar…

Thanks!

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Want to market better? Observe cats.

Beth Ann Erickson

I’ve always been a dog person. Dogs are easy. No matter what I do, dogs generally like me and want to please.

I feed them, take care of them, walk them, tended to their poo, and my puppies assume I am a deity.

After my dear Doxy Cross passed away, I thought my heart would never recover. And when I entered the Humane Society hoping to adopt another small canine, imagine my surprise when not one little dog was available.

Then the Humane Society rep said the one sentence I changed my life for the foreseeable future, “But look at this unusual cat…”

That’s the day I adopted Lina, the blue-eyed, slightly cross-eyed, Flame Point Siamese. That’s also the day I realized cats are nothing like dogs.

When I feed this cat, when I tend to her needs, when I empty her box, she assumes she’s the deity.

She doesn’t aim to please. She knows what she wants, and will settle for nothing less. She gets distracted at the drop of a hat and I can persuade her only when I offer something she already wants.

I’ll never educate her because she already knows more than me… she’s quite confident in that belief and there’s a good chance she’s right.

I better respect the times she decides to bless me with ...

*NOTE: Scroll to the bottom of this page to listen to an MP3 recording of this newsletter!

Hey Creative Entrepreneur!

Oh my. It has been a while, eh? Truth is, we all got Corona. Wasn’t fun, either.

I’ll go into more detail on an upcoming podcast but yikes!

We’re all pretty much over the worst of it (knock on wood!) and I’m the only one left with lingering breathing issues, fatigue, and a big list of projects I need to catch up on. With any luck, I’ll be able to resume our regular Writing Etc. editorial schedule.

But all is well. For now. And I can’t wait to be eligible for the vaccine so I don’t get this again!

Take care. Stay safe. And wear your mask.

Beth 🙂

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Has Covid mucked with your bottom line?

Think it’ll take forever to earn a great living as a writer? Think again.

With this newly edited and completely updated 3rd Edition of Jumpstart Your Writing Career, you’ll discover how easy it is to:

Think like a writer

Hone your writing skills until they’re razor sharp

Tackle the most lucrative branch of writing

Learn the secrets of great fiction

Organize your nonfiction articles for maximum impact

Craft powerful queries

Promote your writing business for little or no money

If you want to be a freelance writer who snags paying assignments, this book’s for you.

AbsoluteWrite.com says Jumpstart is a “marvelous tool for novice writers and often-published authors alike. It’s refreshing, easy to use, and applicable.”

You will get the following files:

PDF (3MB)

EPUB (250KB)

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Just click here

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Life is Camouflaged

Beth Ann Erickson

An Excerpt from Jumpstart Your Writing Career (and Snag Paying Assignments), the Third Edition.

Let’s take a minute to discuss what it means to be a writer.

I take daily walks. Not because I want to, but because my little Rat Terrier would act berserk all afternoon if I didn’t. So every morning I snap on her leash and head out the door.

Because I live in a small town, our route tends to be the same: We walk the parameter of our fair city — either clockwise or counterclockwise — resulting in a good twenty-minute stroll.

The unchanging sameness of each days trek has taught me something valuable that I’ve adopted in my life as a writer: Life is camouflaged. Let me explain….

When I began this daily journey around town I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d soon become bored seeing the same houses, the same woods, the same roads day after day after day after day. But that’s not what happened.

As Lucy (my dear puppy) and I traveled our daily path it was as though scales fell from my eyes. I began to see things I’d never noticed before.

Subtle changes my neighbors made to their houses began to whisper for my attention. Birds I’d never seen before — bright birds like Blue Jays and Cardinals — began to appear like a developing photograph. Squirrels, muskrats, cats, raccoons, fox — all these animals live in the same town as me — and I never knew it.

So here’s my point: As writers, it is our job to notice the things other people can’t or don’t have the time to see. It’s our job to look at something long enough for the camouflage to disappear and for the scales to be removed from our eyes.

We have the daunting task of not only living life, but stepping away long enough to really see what’s going on — in all places, and in all situations.

Sigh. The fun never ends!

In today’s episode, the Chix discuss some challenges when selling books on Amazon. Issues like:

* Buy Button shockers

* Pricing conundrums

* Some possible workarounds

* The possibility of Amazon selling used ebooks

* Possible workarounds

* How this reality can affect Amazon Exclusive authors

* Why it’s important to “tend to your own garden”

* Does Amazon Prime live up to its implied promises?

* What will happen to payouts when the Big 5 Publishers join KU?

* How Bee sells her company’s ebooks direct to her readers

Bottom line? You need to be proactive when it comes to selling on Amazon. Go in with your eyes wide open. Keep your options open. Understand it’s nothing personal. And most importantly? Maintain many streams of income.

Websites mentioned:

3Chix: http://3Chix.com

BookFunnel https://BookFunnel.com

Dee: https://CopybyDoyle.com

Vee: https://TheRosendahlMethod.com

Bee: https://FilbertPublishing.com

In today’s podcast, the Chix discuss a tried and true marketing technique that is making a quiet, yet strong comeback. Many proclaimed its death, but the Chix concur that in the right hands, this technique has the potential to gain new customers/clients at a fraction of the cost of online marketing.

While marketing online is… was… a great way to grow your brand, prices continue to rise, engagement’s decreasing, fees aren’t going down.

Is online marketing going to continue to dominate? The Chix analyze current realities and present a best practice going forward. Enjoy!