Don't miss tomorrow's event because we have the amazing person @Gemma Coles who runs Smart Skills Academy, who is going to give us the rundown on how to maximize the ways we use Microsoft Word with author tips and productivity hacks. We’ll be looking at simple, practical features that help you: • Manage edits and feedback more clearly • Avoid messy documents and version confusion • Navigate long documents quickly • Format content in a clean, consistent way • Save time using built-in tools most people overlook It’s a live, screen-sharing session, so you’ll see exactly how everything works. No theory, just practical tips you can start using straight away. If you’d like to join, I’d love to see you there 👇 Go to the calendar to find the start time in your region. Check the CALENDAR HERE AND SEE UPCOMING EVENTS WHEN - 3/20/2026 TIME - 10AM Central Time

We could all use a little accountability - Including myself ❤️ Read the questions then grab the template at the bottom and make a post 🗒️ 1️⃣ What is **one specific thing** you completed on your book this week? Examples: * Finalized my book topic * Chose my main keyword + category * Wrote 1,200 words * Edited Chapter 1 * Uploaded my manuscript draft 2️⃣ What is the one thing you can commit to finishing by next week? Examples: * Write 2 chapters * Finish book outline * Draft my book description * Collect 10 competitor book screenshots 3️⃣ One blocker - What slowed you down or got in your way this week? This gives you: * Content ideas * Coaching opportunities * Workshop themes * DM conversations for higher-level support 4️⃣ Where are you at right now? 🔥 On track 🟡 Progress but slow 🔴 Stuck 🧠 Overthinking ⏸️ Life happened Drop your update below 👇 (Keep it short — progress > perfection) 1️⃣ **One thing you completed this week:** 2️⃣ **One thing you’re committing to finish next week:** 3️⃣ **Any blocker slowing you down? (optional)** 4️⃣ **Status emoji:** 🔥 🟡 🔴 🧠 ⏸️ I’ll be reviewing these to and helping to move you forward!

I spent most of this weekend in full hustle mode trying to gather all my tax documents together. Let’s just say my bookkeeping skills are… not exactly my strongest area. 😅 But I did something new that actually helped a lot. I used Notebook LM for the first time to upload all of my bank statements and credit card statements and turn everything into a master spreadsheet so I could start itemizing my expenses. Honestly, I feel like @Bradley Deacon and @Gemma Coles would be proud of my AI progress… working smarter, not harder. But the real reason I’m sharing this is an important reminder: If you’re publishing and selling books on Amazon, this is a business. Amazon will send you a 1099, so if you sold books last year you’ll want to make sure you’re looking out for that when doing your taxes. And if you’re just getting started this year, it’s something good to be mindful of early. The cool part of doing all this paperwork though was looking back at the numbers and seeing the growth. To be transparent, last year I earned roughly: • $28K from Audible • $25K from Amazon KDP • About $12K from TikTok Shop sales So the question is… Can you actually make money from self-publishing? I’ll let you be the judge. 👀📚

I have about 24 images now and they’re all horizontal. I’ve been pleased with the consistency of Gemini. Originally, I thought I could cut them in half down the middle and 1/2 of the image would be on the left page and 1/2 of the image would be on the right page and then somewhere around image 12. I decided I didn’t want to do that because it will take away from the image by cutting it in half. So I was researching if I could make a long page book on KP and I read something that it’s possible but that it doesn’t have as many publishing options. So then I was thinking of putting the horizontal images on a square page. Has anybody gone through this process and what has been the best option?

I wanted to share something a little different that I’ve been working on. I’m currently putting together my very first children’s book, and this one is extra special to me because it was inspired by my son. A few weeks ago at bedtime I randomly made up a story on the fly about “Billy the Horse.” It was one of those completely improvised parent moments where you just start talking and hope it turns into a story 😄 A few nights later my son asked me… "Billy the Horse story?" And then he kept asking for it. That’s when I realized… this might actually be a real book. So now Billy the Horse is officially becoming a children’s book. Yes, I used AI to help bring the story and illustrations together. Yes, it’s not perfect. But this one is coming straight from the heart 💖 for my four-year-old. It’s been a really fun creative process and also a great reminder that sometimes the best book ideas come from real life moments. I’m still putting the final touches on it, but I wanted to give you all a first look preview before it becomes official 👀 Attaching the cover concept ... what do you think?