Gretchen Reuben is the author of bestsellers Better Than Before and The Happiness Project. Her tribe follows her both in print and online. She also produces her own podcast Happy with Gretchen Reuben, where she talks about good habits and happiness with her sister Elizabeth Craft and is named an all-time best podcast on iTunes in 2015. She started her career in law when she realized she wanted to be a writer.
She says of her transformation from law to writing, “For my transition, it wasn’t one moment, it was a series of events that happened over time.” At one point, she considered that writing could be a job for her instead of a hobby. Also, at this time, she went over to a friend’s house, and after talking with her friend, she realized that she wanted the same activity for her work and fun time. With an idea in mind for a book, she came to the realization that “if I was to ever try, now was the time to try.”
Gretchen remembers the ecstasy of getting an agent because, for her, that felt like the most significant milestone in her writing career. She was thrilled that someone would put money on her writing career and ambitions.
As for her writing process, Gretchen has never deviated from her original procedure. She does not recommend this to everyone; however, this is what she has found works best for her writing endeavors. Using mostly books and a passion for a topic, she fervently engages in going down the rabbit hole of investigation.
Listen in to find out why Gretchen focuses on using stories from her own life, how she grounds her writing when using specialized terms and how she came up with her idea for her book, The Happiness Project. Learn how novel and challenge make people happier, how she finds time to write, and the easiest way to make an action a habit.
Show Notes
[01:51] Moving from working in a law office in the Supreme Court to becoming a writer. [03:21] Gretchen realizes that if she is going to make a career change, now is the time. [05:02] Toughest part of her transition when working on her book. [06:30] Her writing and research process for each of her books. [09:02] Turning research and investigative notes into readable material. [11:42] For Gretchen, taking notes is a way for her mind to connect the dots of a story. [14:53] When writing, she focuses on using clear direct language and using stories from her own life. [18:39] How being on a crowded bus after running through a rainstorm gave her the idea for her book. [21:32] What is happiness and where can you find happiness in your life? [23:30] How Gretchen finds time to write her books. [27:00] Her personality framework and how she categorizes people. [28:30] “You’ve got to have a consistent habit if you’re going to be productive” and the Four Tendencies Framework. [33:18] Advice for new writers who are in the process of writing their first book. [37:20] Engage with Gretchen on social media!Links and Resources
Self-publishingschool.com Spsfreetraining.com Circle of Profit Recorder Plus Visit Gretchen on the web Gretchen on Instagram Connect with Gretchen on LinkedIn Take the Four Tendencies QuizSPS 109: How To Sell More Books & Make A Full Time Living As A Non-Fiction Author with Scott Allan
SPS 108: Giftology, “Love Bombs”, And Why I Have A $250 Book with John Ruhlin (Using Your Book To Build Relationships & Get Referrals)
SPS 107: How To Write A Perennial Bestseller If You're "Not A Writer" with Dr. Henry Cloud (The Real Secret To Selling 20 Million Copies)
SPS 106: Hybrid Publishing 101, Audible Originals, And Why You Should Focus On Audiobooks with Phil Jones (Exactly What To Say To Get People To Buy & Read Your Book)
SPS 105: Using Partnership Marketing To Sell Books, Change Lives, And Grow Your Business with Pedro Mattos (An Immigrant's Guide To Affiliate Marketing)
SPS 104: How To Create A 1 Page Marketing Plan For Your Book with Allan Dib
SPS 103: Using Books & Thought Leadership To Grow My 200 Person Marketing Agency with Robert Glazer
SPS 102: How To Write A Memoir That Actually Sells Copies (Without Being Famous) with Justin & Alexis Black
SPS 101: Relationships, Radio, And 3 Ring Binder Books: Create A Life You Love & Sell Generate Millions In Revenue with Dan Miller
SPS 100: The "Duct Tape Marketing" Book Launch: Sell More Books & Get More Referrals with John Jantsch (And How To Negotiate Your Publishing Contract)
SPS 099: 8 Figures Ecommerce Empire: How I Sold 1 Million+ Journals & Planners (And How To Create GREAT Products) with Cathryn Lavery
SPS 098: How I Wrote & Launched 6 NYT Bestsellers...And What I'm Doing Differently With My Newest Book with Jon Acuff
SPS 097: Crush It With Challenges: Launch Bigger, Sell More Books, And Grow Your Business with Pedro Adao
SPS 096: Launching My First Traditionally Published Book Using What I Learned Self Publishing Books & Journals with John Lee Dumas (And How I Negotiated a $350k Advance)
SPS 095: The Five Love Languages: Behind The Scenes Of The Book, The Series, And Selling 15 Million Copies with Gary Chapman
SPS 094: YouTube Secrets: Using YouTube To Sell 2k Copies/Month & Get 1,000+ Reviews On Your Book with Sean Cannell
SPS 093: Permission To Prosper: A Faith-Based & Copywriting Approach To Sell More Books & Grow Your Business with Ray Edwards
SPS 092: Using Books To Start Multiple 7 Figure Companies (And How I Sold 700k Copies Of 1 Book) with Mike Michalowicz
SPS 091: Publishers Hate Him! Thinking Like An Agent & Getting Publishers To Compete To Give You A Massive Book Deal with Nathan Latka
SPS 090: How I Sold 25k Copies Of A $37 Ebook That Isn't Even On Amazon (And Using Copywriting To Sell Books) with Sean Vosler
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