October 17, 2021-We’ve added a brand new page to our site where you can see the educational resources age opportunities that we’re offering! Whether you’re just starting your education with us, or continuing your quest for knowledge, we have something for everyone. Check out our brand new page here https://pandamoniumpublishing.com/virtual-courses-classes-and-workshops/, and visit again soon as we have new classes added frequently.
Happy learning!
June 30, 2021-That’s all, folks! I hope you’ve enjoyed our theme this month which was Author Mindset. We’ll be back on July 2nd with our next theme, which is Author Public Speaking! During July, we’ll cover everything from book signings, school visits, engaging with the public, and best practices. This theme is essential because people are more afraid of public speaking than death! We’re hoping to change all that with some easy-to-use tips and tricks so that you can speak confidently about yourself and your books in public.
But, for now, let’s finish up our topic for June! We’ve got one more thing to talk about when it comes to Author Mindset, and that is knowing yourself. The only person who knows what motivates you, makes you tick, what thoughts, feelings, and beliefs you have, and what makes you happy, excited, motivated, and energized.
All of this is so important, and without clearly defining these things for yourself, you can’t possibly be your best author self! I’d like you to complete the following exercise:
Continue to focus on the positive and what you want more of! Combine all of the things that you’ve learned about author mindset this month on our blog and our podcast on Podbean while staying consistent, and you’ll be an author force to be reckoned with. Join us in July for our new theme, Public Speaking for Authors-you won’t want to miss it!
June 29, 2021– Tomorrow is our final day of exploring Author Mindset! I hope you’ve gained some valuable tips that you’ll put into action to create the writing life that you’ve always imagined. Our topic today is Victim Vocabulary-let’s dig in!
Authors stay stuck in their careers for several reasons, but one of the reasons that come up all the time is Victim Vocabulary. If you’ve ever been to a writer’s conference or a workshop, you’ll know that there’s always that one author with the ‘woe is me’ story; the one that you can’t quite seem to get away from or at least out of earshot? The one that complains about everything? Here are some common Victim Vocabulary phrases:
And the list goes on. When we use words and phrases like I can’t, I don’t, I’m not, I won’t, I shouldn’t, there’s no way, it’s impossible, and why does this always, we quite simply give away our power. How did you feel after reading those words? Depressed and defeated? Me too. Our words have a lot of conscious and subconscious meaning to them, and as authors, we should know that words carry power. They can be used for good or evil; they convey messages that are bold and brash or are barely a whisper. The point is, if we tell ourselves something long enough, we start to believe it.
It may come down to conditioning, limiting beliefs, past experiences, and other reasons why an author would speak that way, but it’s essential to remember that those things don’t serve anyone. They certainly won’t contribute to your current or future success.
Change your thoughts, change your words, and watch your life change. Stop using words that victimize you, and start using words that empower you!
June 28, 2021– Well, it’s almost that time again where we’ve wrapped up another theme for the month! I hope you’ve enjoyed our June theme, which was Author Mindset and that you learned a lot of valuable tips and practices that you can put into action. We’ve got a couple of days left, and today I want to talk about something invaluable to your success as an author-Thinking BIGGER and being more specific! Let’s dive in:
When you decided to become an author, what did you envision for yourself? Here are what most authors said when polled by Pandamonium Publishing House.
These are all wonderful things to want for yourself as a writing professional, but what if I told you, you’re not thinking big enough, and you’re not being specific enough, and that’s probably why you haven’t reached your goals yet. Not to worry, I’ll talk about what you need to do to think bigger and be more specific, but first, let me entertain you with a true story.
One Saturday morning, a young boy paid a visit to his grandfather. A fence needed mending on the property, so the grandfather took the boy to the hardware store. Nails sold by the pound, yard supplies, a limited selection of penny candy and chocolate bars, and the usual items you’d find in a small town establishment lined the counters, aisles, and walls. The one thing that stood out was a brand new bike hanging on the wall behind the checkout counter. The boy noticed the bike as soon as he walked in and couldn’t keep his eyes off it; the tires were gleaming black with silver spokes, the cherry red paint was perfection, and the silver bell on the handlebars reflected the sun from the large front window. The boy followed his grandpa around the store in a daze. He thought about riding the bike with his pals and how he could ride the bike to the fishing hole instead of walking, and how that bike would make him so happy.
The boy’s grandpa went to the front counter with a paper bag full of nails to be weighed and paid for. He turned to his grandson and said, “Pick out what you want and then we’ll go home and fix the fence.” The boy looked at the candy, picked out some sweets, and placed them on the counter. The grandpa smiled and said, “I didn’t think you’d pick that.” The boy looked at him and said, “What do you mean?”
The old man chuckled, “I thought the bike was what you wanted.” The boy shrugged, “I didn’t think you would buy it for me.” The grandfather turned to his grandson, “You need to think bigger.” To this, the grandson replied, “And you need to be more specific!”
The boy eventually got the bike, and it was even better than he could have imagined. He learned an important lesson that day, THINK BIGGER and BE SPECIFIC.
Returning to the list at the beginning of this post, let’s revisit each one with a bigger vision and more specificity.
Oftentimes writers never reach their goals because they aren’t specific enough, and sometimes what’s worse is that they reach their goals and realize that they should have dreamt bigger. It’s never too late to actively start building the writing life of your dreams. Be specific in exactly what you want and how you plan on getting it. Don’t play small; this is your life, and you are the captain of the ship. Don’t be like the boy with the bike; ask for what you specifically want without a snap judgement that you won’t get it because it’s too much or too big of an ask.
June 18, 2021– First, we’d like to wish a very Happy Birthday today to, Michael (my favourite person EVER) and my sister, Meghan (my other favourite person ever, June 20)! May all of your wishes come true and may you be as happy as you make others ❤️.
As we continue to talk about author mindset this month, I hope that you’re putting the work in on getting your mind right! We’re talking about intention today and how it’s a catalyst for growth, change, and making your writing dreams come true.
What is intention? An intention is defined as an aim, target, plan, objective, and goal. But did you know that it also means deliberateness, calculation, and forethought?
So many wonderful things have happened in my writing life because they were my intention. Some of them include: Working with the best and brightest, being a guest speaker at a massive superconference, being a best selling author, winning best local author in my city, being published multiple times globally for books and magazines, attending educational seminars around the world about writing and publishing, increasing my income by 50%, and working with ideal clients who share the same values as we do at Pandamonium.
Thoughts lead to feelings. Feelings lead to intentions. Intentions lead to action. Action leads to realization of the thought. Whatever you think about consistently (good or not so good) is what will happen and show up in your writing life. Let’s explore each of these in detail by using a case study.
Emilia was an author who came to me for some coaching. She had struggled over the years with author confidence and mindset, and she said that no matter how hard she tried, she felt like she was simply spinning her wheels. I put together a plan for her, and this is how our conversation led to an author mindset roadmap of sorts.
L: What do you spend most of your time thinking about when it comes to being an author?
E: That I’m not good enough and that my work isn’t good enough, that’s why I keep getting rejected.
L: How does that make you feel?
E: Lousy, defeated, like bursting into tears.
L: What were some of your intentions when you set out to be an author?
E: I wanted to sell a ton of books, be recognized by my peers as a great writer, and be a best seller.
L: What actions did you take to meet your intentions?
E: I submitted a couple of manuscripts and queries, but I got rejected, so I shelved everything from there and haven’t been able to write since.
L: What if I told you that if you started over and changed your mindset from the get-go, that this time you would have a different result, would you be interested?
E: Of course!
L: It all begins internally. We just need to change your focus and the voice in your head.
Emilia worked with me for four months. She had such a huge change in her author mindset that things began to manifest in her writing life, and she surpassed her original goals. Her mindset allowed her to see things differently; not everything worked out perfectly and on schedule, but her life did a 180. The things that didn’t work out, she had a completely different perspective on. Once we changed her thoughts, it was a chain reaction.
Your thoughts, feelings, intentions, and actions all need to be working together! Don’t contradict your intentions by not having the feeling, thought, or actions to match. Take a look at your own author roadmap, is it pointed in the direction of success?
We’ve got a brand new course coming soon just for authors! It’s called The Author Mindset Blueprint. Email pandapublishing8@gmail.com to reserve your spot and get more information!
June 16, 2021– We’re talking about author mindset this month and today’s post is all about FEAR and how to destroy it as an author. Let’s dive in!
Fear is something that shrinks us, it keeps our world small, it’s a liar. Don’t get me wrong, there are things in this world that are scary, but they shouldn’t be debilitating. The best way to get over your fear is to jump right in. Usually, it’s fear of the unknown that scares us the most! That’s why we don’t take chances in our writing life, we don’t advance our career as authors, and we find ourselves watching opportunities slip through our fingers from the sidelines rather than actively participating.
As an author, there have been times where I’ve been afraid too. Like the time I lost my reading and writing skills for an amount of time because of a concussion. Or the time where I was chosen to be a guest speaker at a superconference and the room was packed with my peers and other professionals who were waiting to hear my presentation. I’ve been afraid lots of times, but each time I overcame those fears by jumping in with two feet, sticking to the plan, and doing what needed to be done no matter how difficult it was. I also stick to a rule in my life and that is whatever I’m afraid of, I run toward. Fear is an indicator of what we need to do next. I think the key to destroying my fears was threefold:
As an author, what are you most afraid of? Write down your biggest fears and ways that you can destroy them. ACTION is the way to success and overcoming any obstacle. Action destroys fears and gives you the confidence to realize your goals. Run toward your fears, not away from them and watch your writing life transform.
June 15, 2021-A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to wish me a Happy Birthday yesterday! I’m so thankful for each one of you. On the subject of thankfulness, we’re continuing our theme of author mindset this month, and it would be a shame to leave out something that will change your *ENTIRE* life; we’re talking about gratitude! Did you know that gratitude is one of the most important mindsets of all when it comes to being successful as an author?
Yesterday while enjoying my coffee, I decided to peruse the bookstore. It’s one of my favourite things to do, and I always said I could never work there because it would ruin the magic for me! It’s one of my happy places. As I was browsing, I came across a beautiful aquamarine journal with The Gratitude Journal scrolled beautifully on the front in white writing.
I picked it up and decided to purchase it for myself as a gift from me to me. The pages are divided into sections:
Gratitude for what we have in our lives reminds us of how fortunate we are and places a spotlight on the many people, experiences, and things we have to be thankful for. Working and communicating from a place of gratitude is powerful and life-changing. When we focus on what we want, we get more of it. Careful! Because it works the other way too! When your author mindset is gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation, and happiness, you begin to unlock doors, and great things start to happen. Even if you’re in the worst mood or things aren’t going your way, or you’re having a challenging day, focusing on gratitude will change that. You’ll start to feel better in no time!
As an author, try this exercise:
Focus on the good things that are happening for you as an author. You’ll find that you have so much to be grateful for.
June 11, 2021-Author Mindset us our theme this month and I certainly hope you’re getting lots of valuable information and putting it into action! I’m going to tell you something that most authors dread…they hate it so much and it scares them to death.
Today we’re talking about the Fear of Selling! This is a HUGE barrier for most authors and takes a toll on their positive outlook and mindset indeed.
When authors think of selling their books they equate the practice with that of a used car salesman; it gives them an icky feeling and most of them don’t realize how much harm this is doing to their book sales, confidence levels, and growth as an author. Plus, used car salesmen trick people, sell them things they don’t need, and are deceptive. Authors are none of those things.
People buy YOU first and then they buy your book. This is the first rule of selling.
So how can authors be more confident when talking about themselves and their work and selling their books? Here are three tips:
1) Focus on your target. Authors struggle with selling and the reason is this: THEY ARE SELLING TO THE WRONG PEOPLE. Instead of focusing on their target customer (specific demo and psychographics and those most likely to buy), they think they should talk to everyone. Not only is this exhausting, but it’s highly ineffective. Don’t offer people your book who aren’t interested or don’t have a need for it! Simple. For example, if you’re selling a children’s picture book at a book signing, you’re not going to approach a teenager and ask them to look at your stuff. They have no need or want for it. This is why it’s ESSENTIAL to define your target so that you don’t waste your time and theirs.
2) Let them decide. It’s not your job to make judgements about your customer and whether they will or won’t buy your books. Your job is to make a connection with the person, educate them about your work, and offer them the opportunity to take your book home.
3) Remember this. Authors have said to me, “I don’t want to bother people with my book, I don’t want to be a pest.” And to them I say, “It’s a shame you have a book you don’t believe in and even worse, that you don’t believe in yourself. There’s a person out there who needs your book and it’s unfair that you’re not willing to share it with them.” This is the reason why you became an author-to tell your story and inspire others to do the same!
Don’t be among 90% of authors who have a fear mindset about selling. Remember that you are enough. If you’re struggling, we can help. Check out our course here: https://pandamoniumpublishing.com/product/course-get-your-book-noticed-and-increase-your-sales/
June 10, 2021– As we continue to dig into our Author Mindset theme this month, I’ve come across a really cool exercise! I want you to write a letter to yourself now from your future self. Yep, write a letter to your author self from the future and see what you’ve accomplished and achieved. Here’s an example of one that I wrote for myself.
Dear Lacey,
I’m so excited to tell you that five of your books have become best sellers. I know that status doesn’t matter all that much to you, but it’s a big accomplishment, and you should be proud of yourself. Your tour across Canada and the United States in the Pandabus was a huge success. You made so many wonderful friends and important connections for Pandamonium Publishing House and the illustrators and authors that work there, plus you had a blast doing it! Your donation of the entire Pandamonium Publishing House collection to schools and literacy programs has made such a difference in the lives of young readers. You have helped ignite a love of reading among children with the stories you publish.
Your continuing education has paid off; I know that the hours were long, and it was difficult to stay focused at times, but you made it. You have so much new knowledge to propel you to exciting heights in your career, business, and writing life. Hard work and perseverance paid off. You get what you work for, not what you wish for. But you’ve always said that best.
Working towards getting the Pandamonium Collection into the hands of readers around the globe is no small task, but I believe in you, so you need to continue to believe in yourself. Great things are coming, don’t give up no matter how hard it gets. Literacy matters, and that is the goal that you must continue to focus on. Literacy is freedom and power for those who have it and use it.
Things get tough sometimes, but on the bad days, I want you to remember why you’re doing this, to make a difference in the world and to leave a legacy of literacy. You have an army of people who are rooting for you and who stand beside you in your mission. When you think you can’t keep going or that there is too much darkness to endure, remember who is watching. Be the light you want to see in the world. When everything is going against you, remember that airplanes take off against the wind, not with it. You’re going to be better than fine, I promise.
Keep working hard, and remember, the risk you’re afraid to take could be the one that changes your entire life.
See you soon,
LLB
By doing this exercise, we do two things that set us up for author success:
I hope that you’ll do the exercise and that you’ll keep the letter in a place where you can read it often. Here’s to your success and an unbreakable author mindset.
June 9, 2021– I hope you love this month’s theme, which is author mindset! Let’s dig into a topic today that is the bane of many authors’ existence-rejection and the fear of it.
Rejection is part of life, and the sooner we accept that as authors, the better. Every rejection gets us one step closer to getting a YES! Think of some of the greatest people in history; they were rejected time and again but refused to give up, and most importantly, their mindset remained positive.
Fearing rejection is like waiting for the axe to fall; it gives us a deep sense of dread in the pit of our stomachs and paralyzes us instead of pushing us forward despite it. Things like fears of people not liking our work, or worse, ridiculing it, the fear of being “found out” (see my blog post on imposter syndrome), fear of being vulnerable in that once the words are on the page, they can never be taken back, and the fear of being not good enough.
Rejection is an opportunity! Look at Tom Edison and his perseverance in the face of MASSIVE rejection.
Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He was fired from his first two jobs for being “non-productive.” As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”-(uky.edu) Wow! If we authors could only have that outlook, our writing lives would change completely!
Some of the most famous and prolific authors were rejected hundreds of times collectively-Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, Agatha Christie, Louisa May Alcott, Dr. Seuss, James Patterson, and John Grisham. And they persisted. I don’t know about you, but when I look at the list above, it looks like every single author who made it big got rejected tons of times. That’s good news for the rest of us!
What happens when you embrace rejection? Lots of wonderful things:
I urge you to look at rejection through a different lens; it’s just part of the process, it’s not personal, and what is supposed to be yours is waiting for you on the other side of fear and rejection!
Pandamonium Publishing House, Publishing Made Simple.
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