Integrity

I really dislike this day and age where everyone wants to be seen and praised and prized. Purposely present to spew pillars of knowledge pulled and preserved for a time. No one wants to be silent but everyone wants to be wise. So we selfie our way into stardom on the ground. No one wants to stand behind the curtain or risk being forgotten, or admit that integrity is doing what’s right …even when no one’s looking.

The Message

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Social Media has become a glossed-over, cloudy place. It is filled with fake personas and instant celebrities. People post pictures of their cash and checks on Instagram, for instance, and weigh their worth against the backdrop of numbers and likes. Instead of focusing on the message, we have focused instead on the screen and have invested not in the voice but in the marketing and promotional schemes of so-called professionals who get rich off the backs of those of us who are too lazy to be ourselves.

Research is all fine and good, but what it boils down to is a balance between research, advice, and your overall message, and the people who care about what you have to say. If you rely too much on research and professional input, you may just miss the message.

People hear the word “message” and think religion or politics. This is not always so. If you have a voice, which we all do, then you have a message. We can define a message as:

“A communication containing some information, news, advice, request, or the like, sent by messenger, telephone, email, or other means.”

When someone writes a book, they are sending a message out into the world. It doesn’t really matter what the book is about; every book has a message because every book has a voice. Sometimes, we get so caught up in the online aspect of writing that we forget how important the message is. It is not the marketing plans that will bring readers to you. At least not in the beginning. In the beginning, it’s not a strategy, it’s truth. It’s your message. It’s your voice. Do you have one?

“Focus on what makes you different, what makes you unique. Being true to yourself is a cliche for a reason — it works. People don’t want to connect with something fake. They want to feel understood and heard, and the only way you do that is honestly and authentically. The last thing you want is to showcase to the world a shadow of your true self.” – Curiouser Editor

What do you want to say to the world? Why does it matter? Why is it different than what the previous person has already said? The sky is blue. Why is the sky blue? Why is it important for us to know that the sky is blue? Is the sky blue?

People who agree with you will flock to you because you sing in a key similar to their own. They are the people who actually want to read your books and who will, in turn, support your work. The only way to do this, as Curiouser Editing has stated, is to showcase your real self in your writing, but not just in your writing, in your overall social media presence in general.

Book Reviews: The Value

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Book reviews are, in my opinion, a double edged sword. It does not guarantee that people will buy your books but what it does is add value. When I go to purchase a book, if I had a desire to buy the book I’m going to purchase it anyway. I may scan the reviews yes, but whether or not I decide to buy depends on my initial thought processes before I even got to the authors page. If I’m still leery about purchasing I may depend more heavily on the review as opposed to if I already had my mind made up to buy.

Book reviews are interesting in that they validate that people are actually reading and discussing the book and I think this is what gives them their leverage. There are real life men and women who are interested in your work as an author and that adds a worth to them that becomes more important in the end than book sales. It’s a funny thing because book reviews do increase book sales to an extent (naturally) but they also turn out to serve a greater purpose. Book Reviews authenticate the author in many ways. One of these ways being that he or she have reached someone with their artistry. Its interesting because not everyone who reads a book will review it and that is why they are so special. Good reviews are like little compliments that help to encourage the author. Even if its just one person, the reviews help people to recognize the author as someone who is officially capable of using their skill set and talent to change lives.