Meet Dana.
She’s an author with a powerful message—one that could truly help people. But you wouldn’t know that from the way she shows up in interviews.
Dana spends her days bouncing between posting on five different social platforms, responding to email, tweaking her website, trying to go viral, watching what other authors are doing, and worrying that she isn’t doing enough. She’s busy, always busy, and she’s constantly reacting to everything and everyone around her, but never really landing where she says she wants to be.
When she gets a media interview, she’s so caught up on saying the “right thing” and not revealing too much about her book that she forgets to share the one thing that truly matters: her story.
The result?
A forgettable appearance. No spark. No connection. No movement.
The truth is, distraction is one of the biggest threats to an author’s success. The more you chase what doesn’t matter, the more you lose sight of what does.
(And that is a sound bite.)
So what does matter?
- Your story.
- Your message.
- Your audience.
- When you know your story, you stay grounded.
- When you own your story, you speak with confidence.
- When you tell your story, people listen—and they remember you.
And most important of all, you feel it and the audience feels it too. You feel centered in what you’re saying and in your own experience. People can tell. Whether they are aware of it or not, they can tell when you are grounded.
Focusing on what matters doesn’t mean ignoring the tools and trends. It means using them in service of your bigger purpose, not as a substitute for it.
So this week, I invite you to ask yourself:
- Am I focused on what truly matters?
- Can I clearly and confidently tell my story?
- If not, what distractions might I gently set aside?
Because interviews, opportunities, and conversations come and go. But the authors who stand out—who move people—are the ones who bring their whole heart to the table.
Let that be you.
To your success!
Joanne
P.S. Last chance to join us for The Media Training Course. It starts on Tuesday, April 8th and will not only give you the secrets to making interviews easy, but it’s a chance to hone your story. Plus, it’s a whole lotta fun as well. Join me here!
#mediatraining
#focus
#bookmarketing
#bookpublicity
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