Notes in the Margin

Vicky and Joe have a 15-minute argument about who bears the responsibility for communication. Is it up to me to make myself understood, or you to understand? Tune in to find out who was right (Vicky) and who was wrong (Joe) and why. You'll also get the latest on Joe's progress through Wheel of Time, and why Anne Brontë was an absolute badass of a woman who was well ahead of her time and deserved all the good things.

Key Takeaways:

[3:30] Can you tell whether a man or a woman writes a book?

[7:50] Do you agree or disagree with Vicky and Joe on this one? Should it be on the teacher or on the student (to seek proactive resources) to learn a subject matter when they don't fully understand it?

[13:55] What have Vicky and Joe been doing in quarantine?

[18:45] When writing a book, it's critical you write a book your audience is going to understand and appreciate.

[22:40] What color will Joe's hair be next week? Tune in to find out!

Mentioned in This Episode:

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Vicky on Medium

Order Vicky's new book!

90-day Book Course

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Novel by Anne Brontë

This Is Your Brain on Music, by Daniel Levitin

Hillary Weiss is yelling on the podcast! Hurrah! Right at the start of the coronavirus crisis, Vicky and Hillary got together via the magic of Zoom and yelled about branding. Tune in to find out where confidence comes from, why it's scary to put yourself out there, and how not to sound like an asshole.

Key Takeaways:

[1:10] What does Hillary focus on?

[3:05] What do you want to see more of and less of in your industry?

[6:25] Hiliary works with her clients on their brand messaging to help them have the confidence they need to stand out from the crowd.

[9:35] What is a statement piece and how do you leverage it?

[11:55] There's a lot of fear when it comes to deviating from industry norms, but it is also the most powerful marketing tool you have.

[16:10] Instead of throwing more information at people, help them take the first step towards something productive.

[18:45] How did Hilliary get into copywriting and branding?

[23:15] It can be a tough position for copywriters because they can suddenly become responsible for sales results if their client doesn't know any better.

[25:45] It's critical to understand your client's market first and what they're trying to achieve before trying to offer them services.

[33:15] Absolutely check out Hillary and Margo's YouTube channel. It's perfect for female business owners who need an extra boost in confidence.

Mentioned in This Episode:

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Vicky on Medium

Order Vicky's new book!

90-day Book Course

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Hillary Weiss

Hillary's YouTube channel

Join Vicky and Joe in another lockdown episode – and discover what colour they dyed Joe's hair, why they had to wrestle Picard the TinySheep to the ground, and what they're growing in the garden. Also, discover how Vicky twists wrath into a deadly sin of writing. Find out why it's important to "let it go", how to deal with other people's anger, and how you can use anger to your advantage when you're writing your book.

Key Takeaways:

[1:00] Vicky is...very hungry.

[3:40] Joe has bright orange hair because he isn't leaving the house and adulting right now.

[4:35] Vicky gives an update on the Dingle.

[6:40] What is the punishment for wrath in the Bible?

[10:15] Write angry, but never hit publish.

[12:05] You do have to let go of anger, you can't bottle it up.

[15:30] If you are writing angrily about somebody, they can still sue you for libel even if what you said was true!

[19:05] Don't ever read the YouTube comments!

[21:05] Most people don't want to take an opposing viewpoint on anything!

[23:00] How can you take the thing you're angry about and flip it?

[23:20] Do you ever find yourself being angry at yourself?

[26:10] Be kind to yourself and have empathy for others.

[29:00] Everybody is going through something, so cut them some slack.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Vicky on Medium

Order Vicky's new book!

90-day Book Course

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan

The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern

Surrounded by Idiots, by Thomas Erikson

Bleached hair, ukuleles, dwarvish fighting bread, a meltdown over yeast, friends on Zoom, and the realisation that Vicky has been Doing Too Much: tune in this week for the Quarantine Chronicles. And eventually some actual book-writing advice based loosely on the 7 Deadly Sins. This week, Joe and Vicky talk about greed: how it manifests in writing, the problems it causes, and what to focus on so you can win the long game. Stay kind out there.

Key Takeaways:

[1:00] Joe has weird hair.

[3:15] Joe is STILL reading Robert Jordan.

[4:05] Vicky believes the first 20 pages or so of a book need to not bore you!

[8:45] Joe is trying to understand ukuleles.

[10:00] Joe made bread. It was amazing!

[12:50] During all of this, Vicky forgot to look after herself. So, she is taking some downtime by wearing cthulhu leggings!

[17:25] How is 'Greed' defined?

[21:50] You have to sell to people what they want, but also give people what they need.

[26:45] Don't chase quantity; go after quality.

[27:10] Don't be greedy for the shallow short-term gains. Think about the long-game.

[29:00] Vicky's course is coming out soon! Be sure to be signed up to her waiting list!

[30:25] Vicky just wants to thank everyone right now who is working so hard and keeping the wheels turning!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Vicky on Medium

Order Vicky's new book!

90-day Book Course

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan

The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern

Surrounded by Idiots, by Thomas Erikson

Want to know how to get 1,000+ reviews on Amazon? Yeah ME TOO! So I found someone with the know-how: Dan Laxton of Bibado. I accosted him with many questions about how to get people to leave you a review – and he did not disappoint. Then he told us all about his fantastic company and I learned a ton about the physical product industry that I never dreamed of...

Key Takeaways:

[1:00] Who is Dan and what does he do?

[5:35] Marketing is about being human and being real, and that's hard to do on Amazon.

[6:35] Dan might just sell baby bibs, but their content doesn't have to be about just that. They've catered their content to help parents with their children. Everything from parenting hacks to recipes. This helps them be seen as more than just a product provider.

[9:05] How does Dan ask for reviews?

[13:00] What is the Jungle Scout tool about, and how can it help with your Amazon product?

[18:30] How did Dan first make the product?

[21:45] It is possible to manufacture ethically elsewhere!

[25:30] Dan's team is remote because they prioritize family. They're trying to create an environment where you can have both a career and a family.

[29:00] Dan has recently introduced a childcare policy to help new parents within the organization.

[31:45] People care more about reality than the 'picture perfect' corporate image. People want to buy from real people.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Vicky on Medium

Order Vicky's new book!

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

Join the 29 day challenge!

BIBaDO

Dan Laxton on LinkedIn

Jungle Scout

Join your hosts for discussions of Joe's (not) receding hairline, quarantine shenanigans, a discussion of the books they're currently reading and a Netflix binge recommendation. Oh, and also find out how Vicky twisted the deadly sin of lust into something that's relevant to writing your book. There are actual words of wisdom in this one if you can bear to stick around long enough to hear them...

Key Takeaways:

[2:25] What have Vicky and Joe been doing during the quarantine?

[5:25] Since Joe's BJJ classes are cancelled, he's being forced to do contemporary dance with Vicky.

[6:40] Are you pivoting in your business? Vicky wants to hear from you.

[10:40] Let's talk about lust!

[12:55] What is the difference between love and lust?

[17:00] You don't have to tie your own self-worth into people's reactions to your book.

[19:40] Don't write your book because you want people to validate you.

[21:45] Let go of your expectations and just focus on doing good work.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Vicky on Medium

Order Vicky's new book!

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

Join the 29 day challenge!

The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan

The Starless Sea Book by Erin Morgenstern

Surrounded by Idiots, by Thomas Erikson

Pure-studios.co.uk

Vicky and Joe take a break from the usual format to discuss the frankly freaking weird and scary times we're living in – and decide Vicky's job is to bring a little levity to things (without making light of actual awfulness of course). Tune in and find out how working from home together is going, why they don't need to panic-buy toilet roll or vegan food, and how they're getting people together and making them uncomfortable using technology.

Key Takeaways:

[2:50] Vicky really likes to touch her face.

[3:50] A lot of businesses aren't going to recover from this. That is absolutely terrible.

[5:00] It's a zombie apocalypse. The stores are so barren.

[6:15] Check on your elderly neighbors.

[8:25] People in China can see the sky for the first time because there is less pollution.

[12:20] Do not stop marketing! There is going to be an end to this.

[14:55] So many new business services and models are going to be coming out of this.

[15:55] When you get scared, you get tunnel vision. Remember that there is a way out of this, and to focus on the bigger picture.

[17:20] Now is our time to help keep small businesses afloat.

[19:55] How has Joe enjoyed working from home so far?

[23:00] Vicky will be hosting a virtual get together.

[27:15] What's the takeaway? Be kind to each other.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Vicky on Medium

Order Vicky's new book!

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

Join the 29 day challenge!

The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan

Candide, by Voltair

Surrounded by Idiots, by Thomas Erikson

Vicky's arms look like Popeye has had a fight with a bulldozer and once again, she's wearing an emergency hat. That takes longer than it should. When she and Joe finally get to the point, you'll discover how sloth can prevent you from writing your book, why it's not your fault, and 3 cool things you can do to make sure you get started. Note: if you're listening to this with your kids, you may end up explaining long words to them that make you feel uncomfortable. Blame Joe.

Key Takeaways:

[3:10] Vicky is in a lot of pain today because she was trying to do a new trapeze move.

[11:15] Let's talk about sloth!

[12:45] What is the definition of sloth?

[14:05] Everything has survived and reproduced to produce us. That's amazing!

[15:50] Vicky at one point thought she was having bouts of laziness, but it wasn't. It was genuine depression.

[17:30] Joe has a system for dealing with things he doesn't want to deal with.

[21:25] We plan to do good work, but for some reason 'emergencies' crop up that make you not do the work.

[27:40] Why is everyone hoarding toilet paper?

[28:55] Vicky has three ways you can de-sloth yourself!

[31:20] When Vicky procrastinates, she gets really anxious.

[36:15] Schedule time in your calendar to do basic tasks like laundry.

[37:15] Next week's sin is Lust!!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Vicky on Medium

Order Vicky's new book!

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

Join the 29 day challenge!

90-day Book Course

The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan

Candide, by Voltaire

Do You Talk Funny? 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker, by David Nihill

This week, we take a break from the 7 Deadly Sins and Vicky is joined by Julia Brown, fine artist and book cover designer extraordinaire. They get all excited about books in general and art and design and creativity – and share some top tips about how to make sure your book cover appeals to the right readers. Julia also hands out some tips on how to work with cover designers – including what drives them nuts about projects. Tune in now!

Key Takeaways:

[1:30] How did Julia get into art?

[6:15] Why does Julia like designing book covers?

[8:40] What are some of the elements of a good non-fiction book cover?

[12:15] Julia explains the difference between a simple vs. minimal design.

[15:15] What makes a good vs. bad client?

[19:15] You need to have a basic idea of what size your book will be, what shape it will be, etc.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Vicky on Medium

Order Vicky's new book!

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

Join the 29 day challenge!

Julia Brown, Brown Owl Design

Vicky and Joe huddle under a blanket at 7.30 am. If you listen carefully you'll even hear birds tweeting in the background. It's all very idyllic and kind of cold. In this episode, your hosts talk books – and specifically, how the deadly sin of gluttony can scupper your Big Book Adventure. It's not as tortured a metaphor as you might think, despite Joe's scepticism. Tune in for top book-writing tips and excitement about sloths.

Key Takeaways:

[4:45] How does gluttony relate to your book writing efforts?

[5:15] Too much talking and not enough doing!

[8:25] How much do you actually want to write a book? Is it just a fantasy or is it a goal of yours?[9:25] Too much research and not enough action.

[12:30] Don't let research be the reason why you haven't gotten your first draft down.

[13:45] You're too bloated in your message.

[14:45] People sometimes feel that in order for it to be a real book, it needs to be thick. It doesn't!

[16:40] The key is to know when to stop! That's easier said than done.

[18:55] Always wanted to write a book? Look for Vicky's waiting list invite.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Vicky on Medium

Order Vicky's new book!

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

Join the 29 day challenge!

The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan

The Long Walk, by Richard Bachman

Do You Talk Funny? 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker, by David Nihill