Your brand is not a photo, logo, genre, or collection of fonts. It is the story you tell about yourself. More importantly, it is the story others tell about you. You can grow your brand, but it grows where it is planted. Plant your brand in a place you are willing to live for the rest of your career.

Commandment #10 Thou shalt not be false to thine own brand.

Training in the craft of writing is not easier than training for the Olympics. While learning to write well involves less sweat, it may require more tears, as any successful author will tell you.<ul><li>Read Books on Craft</li><li>Submit Your Writing to Expert Feedback</li><li>Read Good Books</li><li>Keep writing!</li></ul>

Commandment #3 Thou shalt persist in thy craft.

<ul><li>Determine Your Options</li><li>Count the Cost</li></ul>

Commandment #7 Thou shalt weigh thine options before investing i

How do you find your way through the marketing advice smog?<ul><li>Track thy time.</li><li>Track thy money.</li><li>Track thine efforts.</li></ul>

Commandment #4 Thou shalt measure thy marketing.

So, why is it so hard to make author friends?<ul><li>Reason #1 Artifice</li><li>Reason #2 Pride</li><li>Reason #3 Envy</li></ul>

Commandment #8 Thou shalt surround thyself with savvy authors.

Do yourself a favor, and don’t publish your first book first. Let that first book be the learning experience it was meant to be, and then write the next book. You are a writer! Writing is what you do. So write the next book.

Commandment #9 Thou shalt not publish thy first book first.

Write the Back Cover Copy First “Are you willing to put your readers’ enjoyment of reading your book over your enjoyment in writing your book? If not, you are not ready for publishing success.”

Commandment #2 Thou shalt write for thy reader, not for thyself.

If you want readers to care about your book, you need to care about readers.<ul><li>Know Thy Reader</li><li>Listen to Thy Reader</li><li>Serve thy Reader</li></ul>

Commandment #1 Love thy reader as you love thy book.

<ul><li>Pace Yourself</li><li>Create a Budget</li><li>Get a Job</li></ul>

Commandment#5 Thou shalt not dig thy well whilst thou art thirst

Build your platform on land you own. You you own your digital land when you can move without consequences. <ul><li>Own Your Website</li><li>Own Your Email List</li></ul>

Commandment #6 Thou shalt own thine own platform.

If you want to succeed in writing and publishing, heed these ten book marketing commandments of bestselling authors.

Commandment #8 Thou shalt surround thyself with savvy authors.

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8. Practicing gratitude 🙏