If you want to write full-time, have you sat down and added up your monthly expenses? How much do you need to make before you can take the leap? If your current day job provides benefits, what are some alternatives for those as well? This can be a daunting task, but also give you a concrete goal and a set amount to work towards. Don't share the numbers below, but share with us if you have done this before or need to do it. And if this isn't your goal, no problem. :) You can share that too.

I want to share something I wrote in my commonplace book recently: Delayed isn’t denied. As authors, it’s so easy to mistake a pause for failure. A slow month. Falling out of your writing routine. Life throwing something heavy your way. The words not flowing like they used to. And then that thought creeps in: “Maybe this just isn’t going to happen for me.” But what if you’re not being denied your author goals? What if you’re just. . . delayed? There’s a difference. If you’ve fallen out of your writing groove, here are a few simple ways to step back in: 1. Lower the bar (temporarily). Not forever! Just for now. Instead of 2,000 words a day, try: - 300 words - 20 minutes - One messy scene Momentum comes from movement, not pressure. 2. Reread something you loved writing. Not to edit. Not to critique. Just to remember: “Oh right. I can do this. And I actually enjoy it.” 3. Separate writing from publishing. Sometimes we stall because our brains are buzzing with: Ads. Reviews. Sales. Algorithms. Bring it back to the page. You don’t have to rebuild your whole author career today! 4. Put it on the calendar. Not “I’ll write when I feel inspired. But, “I write Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00–8:00am.” Writing matters. Treat it like it does! Progress in this industry is layered and complex. The book you wrote last year matters. The draft sitting at 60% matters too. Delayed isn’t denied. And at the end of the day. . . this is supposed to be fun! That’s why we started, right? Happy writing. 🖤

It’s easy to get caught up in marketing tactics: posting on social media, booking promos, tweaking ads, trying the next new thing. But tactics work best when they’re guided by an actual strategy. A simple way to think about marketing strategy is this: 👉 How do readers discover your books and what do you want them to do next? If you're feeling overwhelmed with your marketing, ask yourself these questions: - Who am I trying to reach right now? - Where do those readers already hang out? - What’s my primary goal this season. . . sales, list growth, reviews, visibility? - How does my current marketing strategy support that goal? You don’t need to do it all! You just need your concentrated, intentional efforts to point in the same direction.

We’re going full March Madness. . . but for your book metadata! That means we’ll be diving into: - Keywords - Categories - Book descriptions - Positioning - And making sure your book is actually discoverable Before I finalize everything, I want to hear from you:👇 👉 What feels most confusing about metadata right now? 👉 What part do you struggle with the most? 👉 What have you tried that didn’t seem to work? Is it: - Finding the “right” keywords? - Understanding Amazon categories? - Writing a description that converts? - Knowing how often to update metadata? Drop your questions below - nothing is too basic!

Maybe it’s: - Finding more readers - Staying consistent with writing - Strategizing your marketing - Growing your email list - Figuring out ads - Getting organized Or something completely different! No fixing it today, I'm just curious what’s on everyone’s mind. Sometimes naming the challenge is the first step toward solving it. Drop yours below 👇