"Spoons, Trish. Choose Where Your Spoons Go."

I could tell you this works. I would rather let the authors in the room tell you, and then teach you the filter that keeps you sane.

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I want to hand you two real messages from real authors, because they say it better than I can.

One is from Faye, working through her debut. She said the marketing breakdown was "great information and timely in my current stage of self-publishing my debut novel. An all-in-one place reference."

The other is from Trish, and it made me laugh and then made me proud. She said, "Thank you so much for this common sense approach. I'm going to read this repeatedly and send it to my cover artists. Also, every time I start doomscrolling about the industry, I'm going to hear a voice in my head that says, Spoons, Trish. Choose where your spoons go."

That, right there, is the whole thing.

Because here is what I have learned watching this community for years. It is one of the warmest, most generous communities I have ever been part of. And depending on which group you are in, it can also be one of the noisiest and most toxic.

Every Facebook group, every conference panel, every podcast, every well-meaning friend has an opinion. Many are delivered with absolute certainty. Many contradict each other completely. And many are coming from people trying to figure this out exactly like you are.

So here is the skill nobody teaches, and it matters more than any tactic.

Discern who you take advice from.

Are they actually good at the thing? Do they have the sales track record to back it up, or are they spouting opinion as fact? Listen, learn, absorb everything you can. And then run it through your own brain, look at your own numbers, and make the decision that fits your specific business.

Nobody understands your books, your readers, your goals, and your capacity better than you do. Do not outsource that understanding to anyone.

Here is what I want you to do:

Next time someone hands you advice with total confidence, ask three quiet questions. Do they do this well? Do they have receipts? Does it fit my actual business and not just theirs?

If the answer is yes, yes, yes, take it in. If not, thank them and keep walking.

And when you feel yourself sliding into the doomscroll, hear Trish's voice. Spoons. Choose where your spoons go.

This is exactly the room we built inside Author Empire. Common sense, receipts, and people who have actually done the thing. Come see for yourself. Your first 7 days are free.

skool.com/thewritingwives

We are so glad you are here.