PurposePals Magazine Vol. 2

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LETTER FROM THE

PUBLISHER As a publisher with over eight years of instructional design experience, I love seeing heartfelt words come to life. If we dig deep within we all have a powerful story that can make a positive impact in the world, but getting the words on paper can be challenging.

In this issue of PurposePals Magazine I had the opportunity to speak with bestselling author and owner of Cannon Publishing, Carla R. Cannon aka The Trailblazer, about her book writing process “Write the Book Already: How to Write a Bestselling Book in 7 Days,” and I was blown away by the strategies this process teaches.

From identifying why it’s important to share your story to determining a marketing plan that effectively communicates how what you have to say will help others, Carla shares key components that are necessary to writing a book that will transform lives.

Whether you are a first time author or a seasoned author planning to release a new book, this issue of PurposePals Magazine was designed to be a guide to propel you on your writing journey.

Highlights from this issue include: •

Biggest mistakes made by new authors

•

The pros and cons of hiring a ghostwriter

•

Why every writer should share their story

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5 things you should do before writing your book

•

Book highlights from some of our favorite authors

I hope you enjoy!

Kimi Johnson,

Publisher and Chief Editor

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Publisher and Deputy Editor

Kimi Johnson

Cover Designer

Brittany Rockwell Guest Contributing Writers

Mercy Benadette Nikolas Keel Cover Feature

Carla R. Cannon-Lawrence Carlacannon.com Cover Photographer

Moon King Moments

PurposePals Magazine is a publication of PurposePals, LLC E: hello@purposepalsllc.com P: 850-765-0461 PO Box: 5532 Tallahassee, FL. 32314 PurposePals Magazine is a quarterly print and digital magazine designed to help new and aspiring authors publish their book.

The information in this publication is presented in good faith. The publisher does not guarantee accuracy or assume any responsibility for errors or omissions.

Copyright 2022 PurposePals, LLC All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or in whole, without expressed written consent of the Publisher is prohibited.

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THE POWER OF

Sharing

Your Story

By Kimi Johnson Many writers shy away from sharing their stories because let’s face it, being the main character of your writing can be a bit intimidating. It is much easier to write about how beautiful the sky is or some other random topic that doesn’t shine the spotlight on you. Unfolding your truth requires an uncomfortable amount of vulnerability and that can be scary, especially for the person daring to bare their soul to the world. Despite the unavoidable discomforts of voicing your experiences with others, sharing your story is powerful!

Here are 3 reasons why every writer should share their story.

Sharing your story is empowering.

Not only does sharing your story empowers others it also empowers you. It requires you to go deep within, face your insecurities and use them as the building blocks to become a confident writer.

Sharing your story creates a deeper connection with your audience.

Connection is key to any lasting relationship.

Showing a more personal side of you allows your readers to get to know the person behind the pen.

Sharing your story helps others.

While you may think there is nothing interesting about who you are or the things you have experienced, what’s ordinary to you may be extraordinary to others. We are all special and have done interesting things in our lives that will elicit both emotion and laughter from those who read about our adventures.

Telling your story, whether it’s good or bad, has the power to shift the lives of others. Your story is powerful, and it deserves to be heard!

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FIVE STEPS TO TAKE BEFORE WRITING YOUR BOOK

Most author’s hope and dream are that their work gets published and lands on the best-selling list. Little is known to them that much is needed in writing a book; for instance, you require discipline, hard work, and ambition to get there.

The result of blood, sweat, and tears is worth it if the book is appreciated by the intended audience and receives many positive reviews. We often focus on the end, publishing the book, which may make writing too overwhelming.

Consequently, we get stuck on the first page, having written only one sentence, wondering what happens next. Fortunately, this is not extraordinary; it happens even to the very best. Additionally, it is not an entirely helpless situation because taking one step at a time when writing a book makes the task seem very manageable. Here are five steps that can help you start your book, whether as a beginner or a pro writer.

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•

•

•

Create a writing plan; we often feel like we can wing it for creativity as long as we have an idea. It may be true on several occasions, but this might not be the best move for writing a book. You need to know when you will be writing; is it the entire day? Will you set aside specific hours for writing? Will you be writing daily, after two days, or once a week? What will you do when you have writer’s block? Putting all these into consideration will help you be ready for anything and work in a manner that best suits you.

instead, you can write down all your ideas and pick a topic that you feel very comfortable writing about, a topic that you are passionate about, a topic you are knowledgeable about and, keeping in mind your audience, you should choose a topic that interests them. Additionally, you should set a due date for when the book should be done to avoid room for procrastination and laziness.

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Think about your audience; as you write your book, you have a specific audience to whom you intend to pass your message. Is it children or adults? Ask yourself this question then your answer will serve as a guideline for writing your book. Suppose you want to write a book that resonates with young adults. In that case, you have to study your audience and know what they need, what they love to read in books, what lingo and slang they understand and relate with quickly, not to be cliché in trying what everyone else is doing, but writing a book that speaks to your audience in a way they can relate.

Do your research; after choosing a topic that you want to work on, you should research and see what has been written before about this topic. Assuming it is a story on mythical creatures, you can look into some of the characteristics of the creatures you want to incorporate in your book. You can read widely on books that have been written on mythical creatures, borrow a few of their ideas or opt to do it differently from them.

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Choose a topic and set a due date; you might have a lot of ideas that you would want to turn into writing. However, you cannot put everything you are thinking of into one book like a fruit salad;

Create an outline; it may seem like an outline will limit what you have in mind, but the truth is, it gives you a sense of direction on where you want your story to go. It will also help you record what you want in each chapter without forgetting anything. Additionally, having a rough idea of what you want to write makes the writing process smoother and faster.

With these steps, you can let your imagination and creativity flow into an exciting book!

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PERKS OF HIRING A GHOSTWRITER...

EVERYTHING YOU DIDN’T LEARN IN ENGLISH CLASS If you’ve been dipping your toes into the literary world, whether it be for fictional word weaving or textbased marketing material, you’ve probably seen plenty of guides and Op-Eds pointing you towards hiring a ghostwriter.

There’s a good reason for this.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro in the literary world or you barely passed your high school English courses, a ghostwriter offers several perks that will make your life easier.

Let’s take a look at them.

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1: Organizing Your Ideas into Useful Content First and foremost, not everyone is talented with a pen. That’s okay. The English language is excessively complicated, and your audience wants more than just the core concept of your idea scratched down for them to read; they want it to be penned in a way that is engaging and easy for them to read.

While you may have a million-dollar idea that you’ve crafted in your head for years, a

ghostwriter can help you bring that idea to life in a way that attracts audiences and gets the point across in an effective manner.

Of course, you need to communicate with your ghostwriter and give them a very clear idea of what you want the piece to be, the feelings you want it to evoke, and any other information you can provide.

While ghostwriters are typically talented wordsmiths, they can’t read your mind.

2: Time and Effort This benefit is useful even if you’re experienced with content creation. Writing a book, or even just a short article, can take a lot of time and effort. Once it’s written, you also need to market the piece and cover a million other parts of the publishing process.

This all adds up and creates a lot of stress.

A ghostwriter can mitigate that stress by taking the bulk of the hard work off your plate. You can use them to write a solid first draft that you will add the finishing touches to, or you can continuously work with them through the editing phase and have them as part of your team throughout the entire process.

By doing this, you can focus on tasks such as marketing, contacting publishers, integrating the content into your website or whatever platform you’re using, or anything else you may need to do depending on what the project is.

3: Creative Collaboration You don’t have to hire a ghostwriter to write the entire piece for you. You can use them as a creative teammate.

Maybe you’re not very good with English, or you have trouble getting through writer’s block and actually finishing a piece. You can hire a ghostwriter in more of a supportive role to pick up the slack, provide guidance, and help you through writer’s block by creating their own version of the section you’re stuck on and potentially pulling you out of the rut if you like what they did.

However, you need to make it known that this is your intent before you hire them.

Some ghostwriters have streamlined workflows, and they’re not interested in work that throws off their rhythm.

Hire a Ghostwriter and Try it Out A ghostwriter is useful whether you’re new to writing or you’ve been doing it for years.

They can cut your workload in half, help you create amazing content despite your own technical limitations, and overall help you create a better finished product.

Don’t sit around wondering if a ghostwriter can help. Reach out to a couple and speak to them directly. You might find your next most useful writing resource.

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The Trailblazer, Carla R. CannonLawrence talks about how using her, “Write the Book Already: How to Write a Best-Selling Book in 7 Days,” model has helped her score close to a dozen #1 bestselling books PLUS Exclusive details about her passion for helping women worldwide to heal what’s still hurting!

Carla is a Holistic Coach who teaches aspiring, emerging and established entrepreneurs how to package their brilliance to bankroll their business without burning out in the process. She is also the owner of Cannon Publishing where she helps her clients publish bestselling books.

To learn more about Carla visit carlacannon.com

COVER FEATURE

CARLA R.

CANNON-LAWRENCE 10

PurposePals Magazine: What inspired you to create the Write the Book Already: How to Write a Best-Selling Book in 7 Days book writing process?

Carla Cannon-Lawrence: It was a process God took me through after I wrote my first book in 2013 that He also led me to delete. Here's what happened: My first round of writing was more so for me than it was for anyone else, and I can remember hearing the Holy Spirit whisper, "Delete it," after I had been working on this project for months. But I was obedient, and I did (after kicking and screaming.) A few days later, I dreamed about the entire writing process that would lead me into officially writing & releasing, The Power in Waiting that same year.

I wrote one chapter per day for seven days and there was my book! Over the years, I found myself teaching and tweaking this process which led to a foundational course within Cannon Publishing that has helped thousands strategically share their story in a timely manner.

PPM: How do you use this process to help your clients write their book?

CL: This process serves as a blueprint for formulating your thoughts, brainstorming ideas, and doing research on your selected topic.

Oftentimes, people think they can just sit down and write without a plan or strategy then wonder why they end up stuck. Just like anything we do in life, we must plan, prepare, then execute!

PPM: What are some mistakes you have seen writers make while writing their book?

CL: The number one mistake I've seen aspiring authors make while writing is not thinking enough about and exploring the need(s) of

their readers. As with anything, people always want to know "What's in it for me?" Whether it's business, an event; etc. A lot of times new authors fail to consider how their story will help someone else. They do not effectively share how their book will benefit the reader within their manuscript or marketing strategy. I've seen this a lot. That's where I come in as their writing coach. My process helps them dig deep within and consider things regarding their story they have not considered. Then we create action steps to effectively deliver this message to their readers.

PPM: What questions should a writer answer before committing to writing their first book?

CL: There are five questions I recommend all aspiring authors answer before beginning to write.

(1) What do I have to say?

(2) Why should anyone care?

(3) Who is my target audience?

(4) What problem(s) am I helping them solve?

(5) Why do I feel the need to share this now?

Although these questions sound simple, they can at times be the hardest to answer and 99% of the time, when my book coaching clients submit these answers, I send them back and tell them to dig deeper. It's very important to be able to clearly communicate your message, even if it's your story, in a way that benefits the reader. This too is something I assist them with during the writing process.

PPM: In your opinion, what do you think are the benefits of a writer having a published book?

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CL: One major benefit of penning your story and publishing your book is that it leaves a legacy behind long after you are gone. Dr. Maya Angelou (God rest her soul) said, "Your legacy is every life you touch." I've witnessed my books go places I've never stepped foot in and ended up in the hands of people I've never met.

I've received thousands of emails over the years about how my books have served as a lifeline to so many people. This reminded me that all I had gone through wasn't in vain and my experiences continue to inspire others throughout the world.

PPM: In addition to teaching your clients how to write their book in 7 days, you also have a Woman Heal Workbook that guides women through their healing journey. Why did you decide to create this workbook?

CL: I am a creative at heart. In October 2021, I hosted a Woman Heal Retreat in Charlotte, North Carolina. There was so much I had to say to the ladies regarding this topic that I knew we wouldn't have time to cover it all so I developed the workbook as a follow-up/plan of action for the ladies to continue to do their work after the event was over. Within this workbook, I include topics from breaking up with codependency to healing "sister" wounds. It's another body of work that I first had to walk out before leaving behind a trail for other women to follow.

PPM: Tell us about your passion for helping women worldwide heal what’s still hurting.

Did a personal experience spark this work?

CL: Everything I'm passionate about derives from a chapter in my life. Helping women heal what's still hurting is dear to my heart because I've witnessed too many women be taken

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advantage of by predators from the pulpit to the marketplace all in the need of truly desiring help but functioning out of a wounded soul. I was that woman as well and my brokenness made me the perfect prey for sick individuals. After going to therapy, experiencing inner transformation, and learning how to snatch my power back by healing from childhood traumas I was no longer ashamed of things I'd been through. I developed a passion to help women do the same. Doing your soul work can be challenging but the results are liberating and more than worth it in the end.

Inner healing must become our priority if we are truly going to live and lead lives of significance.

PPM: How important is it to take out time to heal before sharing your story in a book?

CL: I don't believe someone has to be completely healed from a particular situation to speak on it or help others through it. Some pain we may never fully recover from such as a parent who has lost their child, or a child who has lost their parent. But you learn how to live through it. My healing took place through my writing, events, and programs that I created. The healing process can be different for everyone, but the most important thing is having a Spiritled writing coach to walk alongside you in the process.

PPM: How has taking the time to heal created a more refined version of yourself?

CL: I am still on my healing journey. I don't believe there is a timeline for when you are completely healed from something. Each day you learn to apply self-regulating techniques and to rely on God fully so that it hurts less. Healing is a journey, not a destination.

PPM: Although everyone’s healing journey is different, are there any specific steps women can take to start the process?

CL: I often say we cannot conquer what we are unwilling to confront, and we cannot confront what we are unwilling to identify.

Therefore, the first step to overcoming anything is acknowledgment. To acknowledge that "I hurt here, and I am ready to receive help as well as participate in my rescue," is one of the most powerful statements and commitments we could ever make.

PPM: What do you like most about the Woman Heal Workbook?

CL: I love the realness of Woman Heal. It's honest, filled with transparency and strategy which are essential elements to heal what's still hurting while understanding you're not alone in whatever you may be going through.

PPM: Do you have any encouraging words for our readers?

CL: The time is now. Someone somewhere is waiting on you to show up and share how you made it out of whatever you were in. Your story, your book; your truth will serve as a lifeline to so many people. Because you didn't give up, they will receive strength through your journey to live and not die!

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GOOD RE ADS:

Authors on the Rise Awaken Alive: Creating a Thriving Living Experience Through True Wellness

By Yashika Cherry Awaken Alive is an inspirational guide that will help you: • Understand how living fully awakened can alter your mood, perceptions and the way you experience life each day.

• Identify the elements of wellness and the role they each play in your life.

• Learn how to activate the components of wellness right NOW to thrive on a higher level.

• Get more from the life you live and give more to those that you nurture and love.

• Be happier, healthier and more fulfilled with your living experience against all odds. Remember that life is NOT happening to you, Its responding. Applying Awaken Alive as a lifestyle practice can help you transition from fighting with life and into flowing with it.

Available on Amazon

Destiny: It's in the Grain: Revelational truths to assist every person who has ever been hurt discover true wholeness.

By Shanta Moore Sharing an account of everything she has experienced in her 42 years of life, the author Shanta Moore teaches how deliverance is within the life of the grain, not the agony of the pain. The Destiny Dots found at the end of each chapter invites readers to do the personal work required to experience a Heavenly release. This book will teach you how to decode the pain that has had you stagnant by propelling you to live a destiny fulfilled life!

Available on Amazon

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I’m Just Simply Saying Book

By Rhoda Whitfield In I'm Just Simply Saying, author and marriage coach Rhoda Whitfield helps you tackle the ups, downs, bumps, and bruises of marriage. She discusses that even though some days may be burdensome, it is not a reason to give up. This guide emphasizes the importance of including God in the marriage as you work to blend personalities and differences as you move toward becoming one. God promotes that unity, harmony, and oneness.

Available on Amazon

The Ability of the Tongue: The Gateway to Success or Failure

By William Alexander "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." (Proverbs 18:21) The words you speak are seeds you're sowing. If you don't like the harvest you are getting, check up on the type of seeds you have been sowing.

In this powerful and eye-opening book, William Alexander writes about spiritual truths concerning the words you speak. He shows you how every word you speak is a seed that you are sowing, good or bad. He reveals how a tongue out of control brings a harvest of devastation; and a tongue governed by the Spirit brings a harvest of blessings.

Available on Amazon

Can You Hear Me?

By Christina Malloy This heartfelt book of poetry shared by author Christina Malloy will inspire you to seek God’s unconditional love and find strength in the midst of pain. From friendship to hardships, the poems shared in this book are the perfect recipe for keeping the faith and trusting your purpose driven journey.

COMING SOON

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