Presentation given by Marcy Pusey

Q: What is the biggest pitfall you see authors do?

• There is a one-size fits all approach. The info overwhelm can be daunting. There is not a one way approach. There is a your way to approach.
• Not realizing the Investing in the process discourage writers.

Q: why do you feel many authors don’t invest in their books.

• A lot of us have a scarcity mentality. Many start from humble beginning.
• You need to invest, tears, energy and money to accomplish dreams.
• Half of all tradition published books never saw more than 12 copies.
• 90% of books never sell more than 2 K.
• If you believe in what you’re doing, you’ll do it.
• You need to do market and muscle behind book by have things done professionally.
• You have to spend money to make money.
• Professionals give your book three months to succeed before we move to the next book.

Q: what have you learned of promoting story.

• Our brain is oriented to our survival. Looking for things that help us survive.
• We can give kids and every brain life experiences safely. Readers can experience the challenges of life through the text. Their brains are living that experience but in a safe environment. Adults need that same safety.
• Story arches give our brain the same experience of survival.
• We have the power to neurologically change people minds through your story.
• Host: movie Rocky boxer overcoming challenges.
• Seen a shift toward people value of people who have had the experience rather than just letters behind their name.

Q: What is the wrong thing authors get stuck on writing journey?

• Authors make excuses. I don’t have time, I don’t know the process. There is a whole iceberg beneath their verbal excuse to see the root causes.
• If don’t’ have time, the actual issue might be prioritizing.
• Host: author found imposter syndrome prevent him from writing a book for four years.

Q: how can writers navigate telling difficulty stories?

• Your survival doesn’t not want you to review a bad experience.
• When we tell story, we are healing.
• Our unprocessed trauma gets stuck in the brain. It stays in that place. ( a veteran hearing a car backfire, takes them back to the war) sensory activity (word lists) help us address our trauma.
• Pushing through the trauma safely in our current life can help us address that trauma.
• Writing about trauma can heal you as you writer it. It happens before it helps others.

Q: final advice?

• Think of someone who has been influential in your life. Imagine that person that impacted you did not share their wisdom with you. How would your life have been change by the lack of knowledge they never given you. What if their insecurity or excused prevented them from sharing. Refuse doing that with your own work.
• All of our messages have a market.
• When you are fighting to give your message to the world. it is a journey. Have a team.