Write Beside You

Cheri Gregory

What You Need to Know About Meeting Your Reader’s “Felt Need”

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 Click here for a transcript of the video   A full blog post on this topic is coming soon! This video is excerpted from a group coaching call.  The blank black screens occur whenever a face showed up on camera other than mine (we were on Zoom which switches "speaker view" based on who is speaking, commenting, or even laughing.) Before the start of this clip, I shared the sad saga of someone who spent 1.5 years developing a massive eCourse without listening to her audience or … [Read more...]

How to Attract Your Crazy Loyal Fans

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For years, I thought I had a major jealousy problem. Why else did I daily wonder: Why is Kathi Lipp‘s platform growing so much faster than mine? Sure, I tried to rationalize: She was writing and speaking full-time, while I was trying to build my ministry “on the side” of my teaching career and graduate school schedule. Her #1 Strength is Positivity, but mine is Input. She’s a charismatic leader, and I’m … not. But even as I accepted the many personality and life season … [Read more...]

How to Avoid Burnout with a Carefully-Considered “Yes” (Plus, a Free Download!)

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When I started speaking regularly more than a decade ago, I only had one criterion for saying “yes” to a speaking engagement:  an invitation. I was so thrilled to be wanted that my knee-jerk response to every request was an automatic, over-eager, “Yes!” My first official speaking season calendar boasted 30 engagements and added 4,500 miles on my trusty Murano, all while I was still teaching full-time. And while I felt honored to share the message God had placed on my heart and loved my … [Read more...]

The One Thing You Need to Know About Your Book Proposal

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I used to hate book proposals. They felt like such a waste of time—especially when all I wanted to do was write! But over the last few years, I’ve had a complete change of heart. In the process of helping clients create strong book proposals, as well as developing four of my own, I’ve become a huge fan. What’s made the difference? I finally figured out what a book proposal is really about. For decades, I thought a book proposal was all about me and my message. But I was … [Read more...]

How to Plan for Your Next Big Event

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Big events used to sound so glamorous. I imagined how much fun it would be… …speaking to hundreds of audience members. …setting up a beautiful booth in the exhibit hall. …selling and autographing books. …snapping selfies with adoring fans. Then came MOMcon 2017, where my dream came true. Kathi, Roger, and I flew to Kansas City where the most amazing volunteers* helped us set up a gorgeous booth in the exhibit all, complete with stunning banners and posters (thank you, Harvest … [Read more...]

How to Write In a Cabin in the Woods No Matter Where You Are

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I could write the best book here. Bird calls break the sleepy silence as a golden sky heralds the rising sun. Right outside my window, trees burst with pink and white blossoms. Stirring chocolate creamer into my coffee, I smile with certainty. I could write the best book here. The Allure of a Cabin in the Woods It’s tempting to imagine the book we could write … would write … if only we had a  cabin in the woods to retreat to and just write. For most writers, this “cabin in … [Read more...]

How to Pitch Your Idea with a Servant Heart

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God’s given you a message, and you want to steward it well. Which means that you need to get people’s attention. But the very idea of self-promotion makes you gag. How can you pitch your concept without seeming self-serving? Great question! A Tale of Two Pitches Grit ‘n’ Grace, the podcast Amy Carroll and I co-host, receives unsolicited pitches every week. The vast majority fall squarely into the self-serving category … and trash folder. But every now and then, a … [Read more...]

How to be Prepared for the Last-Minute Speaking Gig

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Let’s pretend: It’s 30 minutes before bedtime, and you’re winding down for the night. Suddenly, the phone rings. Who could possibly be calling this late? You wonder as you answer. “I am so sorry to be calling you at the last minute like this,” says a voice trying (unsuccessfully) to hide full-blown panic. “But our speaker for tomorrow’s event just cancelled due to a family emergency.” You know where this is call is going. “Is there any chance you could fill in?” How to Be … [Read more...]

Notice the Need With Your Name on It

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As Christian writers and speakers, it’s vital that we monitor our motives and notice the need of our audience. We must regularly ask ourselves: Why do I step up to a microphone in front of an audience to deliver a spoken message? Why do I spend hours at the keyboard to craft a piece of writing? The pat answer, of course, is “to bring glory to God.” But the truth is that even after a quarter-of-a-century as a professional communicator, I still wrestle with two self-centered … [Read more...]

Interview With Amy Carroll, Part 3: Building a Platform with Heart

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In this final portion of our interview, Amy Carroll and I discuss building a platform with heart — the best things you can do, the worst mistakes you can make, and how building an online community, with heart, can actually be fun!                                                                       Cheri: What’s been the best thing you’ve done to build your platform? Amy: Last summer, I did an online book study of Breaking Up With Perfect: Kiss Perfection Good-Bye and Embrace the Joy … [Read more...]