Your core message is the main theme, the golden thread, that dominates most of your content. Some examples:

Adventure author Jon Krakauer writes about human drama in life-or-death outdoor situations such as hiking or mountain climbing.

Novelist J. K. Rowling writes about what it means to be a hero in the context of a fantasy world.

Novelist Stephen King writes about the dark side of humanity in the context of horror stories.

Personal development guru John Maxwell writes about leadership.

Historian David McCullough wrote about the humanity behind American historical figures.

For most authors, it’s many books, but one core message. You might say, “What about the books that aren’t tied to an author’s core message?” Most of the time, those books are tied into their core message in one way or another.

What about you? What’s your core message?

If you can’t articulate it yet, that’s okay. It takes time and writing a lot of words before you figure it out. Your core message gets clearer and more authentic the more you write.

Today’s Challenge: As best as you can articulate it, write down your core message as an author. Then ask three people who know you well to see if they agree.

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One of the major trends I’ve seen in the last couple of years is the number of nonfiction authors who want to write children’s books. I’m not sure about the reasons behind this. Part of it may be due to the pandemic. The world is changing fast and those of us in mid-life are starting to embrace our creative side more… which is a good thing!

Part of it is also due to a bigger acceptance of children’s books as a wonderful outlet for authors and business leaders. I’ve thought about writing children’s books myself!

Which is why I’m excited to share this conversation with my good friend Beth Ann Ramos. She is an author, entrepreneur, and health advocate. Beth started her career in corporate marketing but left it all behind to focus on being a stay-at-home mom.

Beth has reinvented herself professionally multiple times as she worked to create a fulfilling work life that prioritized her young family.

In 2021, Beth founded Good Day Books to create and share encouraging and affirming content. However, she soon found a knack for writing and illustrating children’s books that empower kids while helping businesses create goodwill with existing clients and foster relationships with new ones.

Beth’s first book, I’m Getting New Glasses, was published last year, and she recently released the follow-up, When I Take Care of Me. She and her husband have two young boys, and they live in Texas.

Beth shares why she loves writing children’s books, the process for writing and creating them, how she has marketed them, and much more. This was a really inspiring conversation that made me want to immediately start writing my own kids’ books!

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As you probably know, in addition to hosting this podcast and running the Daily Writer Club, my membership group for writers, I’m a ghostwriter. Today, I’m excited to share a conversation with an enormously successful and legendary celebrity ghostwriter, Glenn Plaskin.

Glenn Plaskin is the bestselling author of twenty-five books, including Horowitz: The Biography of Vladimir Horowitz; Turning Point: Pivotal Moments in the Lives of America’s Celebrities; and KATIE: Up and Down The Hall: The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors into a Family.

He is also a recognized collaborator and ghostwriter for CEO’s, entertainment personalities, high achievers, newsmakers, performing artists, and public speakers. He is known for his in-depth interviews and human development stories, landing exclusives with film stars, politicians, TV personalities, business executives, and media figures. He is ranked in the 2022 Publishers Weekly Book Publishing Almanac as the lead ghostwriter in the nation.

His profiles and syndicated columns have appeared in the New York Times, the Daily News, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Family Circle, US Weekly, Ladies Home Journal, and many more outlets.

His interview subjects have included such figures as Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Katharine Hepburn, Nancy Reagan, Bill Gates, Calvin Klein, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, Paul Newman, Dolly Parton, and hundreds of others.

Glenn’s TV appearances include The Today Show, Oprah, Larry King, Joan Rivers, Sally Jessy Raphael, Geraldo, and Good Day New York. He will be appearing in two upcoming film documentaries in 2023, one on Katharine Hepburn (Netflix) and another on Leona Helmsley (HBO). He lives in New York City.

In this conversation, Glenn shares his journey into becoming a writer, some of his habits and routines, how to get started writing, and some thoughts on working with clients. You can find out more about Glenn at https://www.ghostwriteyourbook.com/.

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I recently attended the amazing WriterFest conference in Nashville. I met some amazing people there, including the renowned romance author Jenny Hale! (Many thanks to Honorée Corder for the introduction.)

Jenny Hale is a USA Today, Amazon, and international bestselling author of romantic contemporary fiction. Her books have sold worldwide, have been translated into multiple languages, and adapted for television.

Her novels Coming Home for Christmas and Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses are Hallmark Channel original movies. She was included in Oprah Magazine’s “19 Dreamy Summer Romances to Whisk You Away” and both Southern Living’s “30 Christmas Novels to Start Reading Now,” as well as “Beach Reads Perfect for Summer 2020.”

Her stories are chock-full of feel-good romance and overflowing with warm settings, great friends, and family. When she isn’t writing or heading up her romantic fiction imprint Harpeth Road, she can be found running around her hometown of Nashville with her husband, two boys, and their labradoodle, taking pictures, which is her favorite pastime.

This was such a fun conversation where Jenny shares insights about story structure, how to begin writing fiction, her daily writing habit, why she started her own publishing company, and much more.

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Bestseller lists can be deceptive. When a book is popular, it gives the impression that it was written for the masses. After all, if thousands or even millions of people love a book, it must have been written for them, correct?  

Well, no. A book is a conversation between an author and an individual reader. It’s not a conversation between an author and a large group of people. 

That’s why we must write with one single reader in mind. That’s what writing coaches mean when they talk about your “avatar,” which is a profile of your ideal reader. 

When you write, keep this person in mind. You are writing for them individually. You aren’t writing for the masses. But the irony of this approach is that if you write for one person, many people will resonate with your writing. 

Business leader Matt McWilliams put it this way: “You don’t have to be the best, just someone’s favorite.” As long as you are writing for that person and trying to entertain them or solve their problems, you will be their favorite author and probably many others’ favorite, as well. 

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