When radio host and founder of the Best Ever You Network, Elizabeth Hamilton Guarino, asked for help with her book I suggested we do a “meet your muse” visualization to get clarity. I had some ideas about her book, but her muse had other ideas.
She closed her eyes and I led her on an inner journey to her muse, where we asked her muse about the tone, structure and features of her book.
Her muse–who appeared as Nadia Comaneci–was clear–“Do your own thing.Trust yourself. You march to the beat of your own drummer.” Her muse reminded her of her days competing as a gymnast, where she followed her own instincts and created unique routines.
Good thing she listened to her muse. Elizabeth recently signed a book deal with Hay House Publishing for Percolate: Let Your Best Self Filter Through. One thing they especially liked about Percolate was her unique voice–not a typical voice in the self-help arena–but down to earth, simple and not sugar coated.
While it’s often useful to get expert advice from someone who’s been in an industry for years and understands the markets, there are times when the conventional wisdom is not what you need. How do you know the difference?
It takes going within. And how do you do that? Here are a few ideas:
– Listen to my “Meet Your Muse” visualization for writers (which you can download free) or schedule a “meet your muse” consultation with me.
– Go for a walk in nature.
– Meditate, do yoga or pray–whatever works for you.
– Ask questions in a journal and write your answers with your non-dominant hand (or just write without thinking, censoring or judging–let ideas flow.
Have you ever gotten advice but known in your gut it was wrong? What did you do? How do you tap into your answers? Are you bucking “conventional wisdom” with your book? How so?
Thanks for this post, Lisa. I know exactly what I want to say in my book and how I want it to look. I am a bit concerned about marketing it and getting it in the hands of chocolate lovers. (It’s a book about chocolate travel.)
I have a post on my writer’s blog called “musing about my muse” so your topic was very timely. I’ll check out your free download. Thanks.
Hi Doreen,
It sounds like a book I’d enjoy. Some of my clients have been quite nervous about the marketing part only to find that they love it the best. I’d think there may be opportunities to team up with chocolate-makers or chocolate stores to promote the book perhaps? And what a great book to add to chocolate gift baskets. Seems like maybe an endless number of fun marketing ideas. Perhaps you can go to a local university and have students in a marketing class come up with marketing strategy and perhaps even execute. You can thank them with chocolate. It seems to me a really fun book to market. Also, do contact travel bloggers, food bloggers and chocolate bloggers!
I use something similar with my clients to help them to connect to their brilliance. We have to learn to trust our inner compass, believe in our abilities, give ourselves permission to fail and take action for our goal.