Day 2 Homework: The Foundation For BLB Success!
Step 1 - Look in the Mirror
What are your strengths?
● I love to write. I am an effective speaker. I retired as a community college professor, having taught public speaking and related subjects. I am a good networker. I have great accountability partners. I am persistent.
What are you the best in your world at?
● I was a great public speaking teacher. I am a loyal friend. I am getting to be an effective writer of Christian children’s picture storybooks. I do my best to be a faithful believer in and follower of Christ.
Why do readers pick other authors over you?
● Because readers have not heard of me or my book. I hope this will change when I attend the Great Home School Convention in Ontario, CA, June 2024.
● There are a few very well-known Christian children’s book authors like Michelle Medlock Adams who sell well. I have heard her interviewed on the radio. I pitched the same station, but did not get a response.
Why do people read other similar stories rather than your story?
● There are some great secular stories about children during the American Civil War. Likewise, there are stories about children in ancient Roman times. Some of these books are in local libraries. My books are not in the libraries.
What do you do that exhausts you?
● I am usually able to pace myself. For example, if I started to get exhausted, I will take a break or go for a walk.
What are your unfair advantages?
● I will work long hours to get the content of a manuscript or a proposal just right. I am coachable and work well with editors and critique partners. I am willing to learn. When I am working under a deadline, I get up early and stay up late.
What gives you the authority to write on the subject you’re writing on?
● Marcus and the Emperor’s Coin won First Place at Carolina Christian Writer’s Conference in the Children’s Book Category, Kudos Awards. The book was an Amazon #1 Bestseller in two categories. I write children’s picture storybooks about coins and faith. I am a former coin collector for over 50 years and am a life member of the American Numismatic Association. I am a retired community college professor of Speech Communications. I am a Fellow of the National Writing Project. I have shared about Jesus overseas, having taught ten summers abroad. I have eleven nieces and nephews. Three are 9 years old and younger.
What gives you the authority to explore the themes in your writing
● See the above.
Step 2 - Look at Your Readers
Who is your target reader?
● A 5-8 year old child.
● The target buyer of the book is a 35-year-old homeschooling mother with two children, ages 8 and 6.
What does your target reader read currently?
● The child has a children’s Bible. The child’s parents takes them to the library every week to check out books. They read simple chapter books like the Frog and the Toad series. They like children’s historical fiction. They are reading and studying homeschooling curriculum.
● The parent who buys my books reads homeschooling blogs. She is reading and preparing homeschooling curriculum. She also reads Christian magazines. She reads her Bible. She also reads a daily devotional. She may be involved in a women’s Bible study that focuses on various books the group reads and discusses.
How is your target reader different from other readers?
● Children: These children are generally growing up in faith-based homes.
● My target buyer is woman of God. She is a Proverbs 31 wife. She is prayerful. She is against many of the current trends happening in modern secular culture.
Why does your target reader read books?
● Child: To learn to read (ages 5-6) and to read to learn (ages 7 and up).
How can you thrill your target reader?
● Children will be thrilled when the story has conflict, believable characters, and believable dialogue.
Step 3 - Listen to Your Readers
What do readers like about you?
● I was a coin collector and want children to have a reading experience like I wish I had when I was a child.
What are the themes and topics that come up?
● Coin collecting. One of my characters is a collector. Another learns how to make a coin.
● Faith: One character quotes scriptures about trusting God. In another story, a character sees Jesus say, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
What words do they mention in their reviews?
● The Two-Cent Piece: Perfect gift; great book for children, beautifully illustrated, God and country, and a source of inspiration. The words “Civil War” appear because of the book is set in 1864.
● One negative reviewer did not appreciate the book seems to promote Christians going to war.
● Marcus and the Emperor’s Coin: Superbly written, relatable, awesome children’s book, adventurous book for kids, exceptional illustrations, and a great way to have Gospel conversations with your kids.
What do people say about you when they talk to each other?
● Parents and grandparents say they learned new things while reading the book. Great story, I want another copy to give to **. I like the illustrations.
Step 4 - Look in Your Reader’s Mirror
What does my brand let my readers say about themselves?
● Children: Feel good after they read the books. They like the endings.
● My series has been called the In God We Trust series.
● Readers would say they want to read books that affirm trust in God.
● Children want to read a good story.
● Adults want books with wholesome content for their children.
● Adults may want to have the salvation conversation with the next generation.
What tribe does this brand give me access to?
● Homeschoolers who collect coins!
Who are your outsiders?
● Very progressive families that want to shield their children from religion and God.
Homework For Jim’s Talk
What is the promise you are making your readers?
● I am promising them a Christian faith-affirming read, and good story with some reference to coins.
What comes to mind when people think of you?
● I asked friends a few years ago. Here is what they said…
● Open, enthusiastic, curious, serious, thoughtful, spiritual, a man of integrity, faithful, intense, authentic, the Humble, Unassuming Hero.
What is the empathy you have for your readers?
● I taught college students. My best students were former homeschoolers. I have worked with my editor to write an easy-to-read story for 5-8 year olds.
What is the authority you have for your readers? What gives you the authority to write on the subject you’re writing on?
● Marcus and the Emperor’s Coin won First Place at Carolina Christian Writer’s Conference in the Children’s Book Category, Kudos Awards. The book was an Amazon #1 Bestseller in two categories. I write children’s picture storybooks about coins and faith. I am a former coin collector for over 50 years and am a life member of the American Numismatic Association. I am a retired community college professor of Speech Communications. I am a Fellow of the National Writing Project. I have shared about Jesus overseas, having taught ten summers abroad. I have eleven nieces and nephews. Three are 9 years old and younger.
What gives you the authority to explore the themes in your writing?
● Almost 34 years as a believer in and follower of Jesus. Former coin collection for 50 years.
Find a website that makes it about them, and brainstorm how you would change that website to make it about the website visitor. What are two things you would change?
● https://www.theejohndoe.com/
● This website is all about John Doe, a punk rock performer turned solo artist. In 2022, he had a new solo album released. The site shows his upcoming tour dates. The cite is all about him.
● Change: Add some color to the mostly black and white images.
● Change: Add stories to capture the interest of the website’s visitor.
● Change: Change the order of the About Page: Put the critical acclaim promotional information above the fold.
Who is your target reader? Describe them in one sentence:
● A 5-8 year old child who believes in or will eventually believe in Jesus.
● The target buyer of the book is a 35-year-old homeschooling mother with two children, ages 8 and 6.
To stand out, we must shock/surprise/delight Broca on a regular basis. How have you, or how are you going to, shock/surprise/delight Broca during the next three days?
● Create advertising for the Great Home School Convention I will be attending this June. I need some advertising for the convention.
● I need to get the attention of the kids…I am thinking of taking some coins and putting them in a case for people to look at.
● This appeals to the parent…
● Don’t Get This Book … Unless
● You want to delight and inspire your children
● And add to the list…
You know your brand has to be organic. What is different, unique, quirky, surprising about you that can/does define you as a person? How are you organically compelling?
● The confidence with which I speak. I have a lot of well-rehearsed talking points.
● I know how to work a room…my interpersonal skills.
● My wife and I were missionaries to closed countries. I am a man of faith.
In what areas do you need to give yourself permission to be you?
● I am rather confident with who I am.
In what two areas are you going to focus on where you’ll make your content surprising/entertaining/provocative/engaging?
● https://dennisconradauthor.com
● I feel my website could be improved. I think my About Page has good content, but the font needs to be changed.
● Get ready for the convention…think about my in-line booth and what I can do to make it great.
● Do you have any ideas?