Hello, Beautiful People!
It’s still a little early, but I’m determined to keep knocking out the goals I’ve written on my whiteboard. One by one, I’m checking them off, and this week, I’m excited to share that I completed two and working on more.
As an author and entrepreneur, I've learned that your message doesn't have to stop at the last page of your book.
I've created products such as bookmarks, shirts, mugs, and other merchandise that reflect my writing, creativity, and business mission.
Think about ways you can create or update products that connect with your audience.
Your branding opportunities might include:
- Bookmarks featuring quotes from your book
- Shirts with inspirational messages
- Mugs designed for readers and writers
- Journals and workbooks
- Personalized gifts
- Digital downloads and printable products
You don't have to create everything at once. Start with one product that represents your message and build from there.
I finally updated the book cover for my book Silent Echoes
As a book lover, author, and content creator, I’ve always believed that a book cover should grab your attention before you even turn the first page. When I originally published *Silent Echoes*, I knew the cover wasn’t quite giving me the look and feel I wanted.
I had been thinking about changing it for a while, and I finally made the time to get it done!
Now, when I say the process wasn’t hard, let me explain. Nothing is necessarily easy, even when you have tools like ChatGPT to help you along the way.
I still had to put my creative mind to work!
I had to develop the vision, write a detailed description, create the right prompts, and bring my ideas together to design a cover that reflected what I wanted.
Once I had the design, it was time to head over to Canva to handle the formatting.
And then came the REAL challenge…
**Uploading the new cover to my Amazon KDP account for the print version of my book!**
Let’s just say it took me SIX attempts to get everything right. Yes, SIX! 😂
But guess what?
I figured it out, got it uploaded, and ordered my author copy.
And when that copy arrived?
It looked GREAT! 😊🎉🥳
There’s something special about holding your own book in your hands, especially after putting in the work to make it look the way you envisioned.
Now that the print cover is complete, my next step is updating the eBook version.
Then it’s off to the next project!
**A Little Reminder for My Fellow Creators**
Sometimes, the goals sitting on our whiteboards, in our planners, or in the back of our minds just need us to make the time to get started.
You may not get everything right on the first attempt. You might have to make adjustments, learn something new, or try six times like I did!
But progress is progress.
Keep creating. Keep learning. Keep checking those goals off your list.
And remember:
**Never change the dream, change the approach.**
Until next time,
Keep writing and keep creating
Areatae McGhee; MS, CFLE