How to Use the "Micro Book" Method to Write a Business-Building Book in Less Than 90 Days with Jessica DeBry

0:02Who's ready to rock today, Fire Nation. JLD here and welcome to Entrepreneurs on fire brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network with great shows like CEO School. Today, we'll be breaking down how to use the micro book method to write a business building book in less than 90 days. To drop these value bombs, I have brought to Jessica Debray and the EO Fire Studios. Jessica is the author of Author Entrepreneur, the five-step blueprint for leveraging a self-published micro book to maximize your impact, become the go-to expert, and build a six-figure business. She teaches female entrepreneurs how to use her innovative micro book method to write best-selling books that catapult their business.

0:37We will talk about why books are so important for entrepreneurs. We'll talk about how to build your brand and business with your book. We'll talk about the micro book method and so much more. And a big thank you for sponsoring today's episode goes to Jessica and our sponsors. Outbound Squad, hosted by Jason Bay, is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals. Tune in for convos with leading sales experts and top performing reps to help you land more meetings with your ideal clients. One of my faves, the monthly app with Jason and Ethan, where they share hacks, tips, and tricks.

1:11Listen to Outbound Squad wherever you get your podcasts. Jessica, say what's up to Fire Nation and share something that you believe about becoming successful that most people disagree with. What is up, Fire Nation? So quick fun fact before we dive in. I am also a JLD, but I married into the D part of my name, and John's the OG JLD, so he should definitely have his ownership rights. So one thing I believe about becoming successful that most people disagree with is that I think you should ignore the, quote, follow your instincts advice. Instincts are important, right? They keep us alive. They're critical for survival.

1:49But I actually believe our instincts can steer us in the wrong direction in the sometimes unknown yet totally safe scenarios we face in our entrepreneurial endeavors. Because what happens when we feel our instincts are telling us not to do something? What should we do if we start to feel nervous or unsure or resistance around something we know we want to do? It's no coincidence that we usually feel these emotions the most when we're encountering big things, right? Like the stuff that really moves the needle, like writing a book, launching a new business or a new offering, or pitching for a big PR opportunity.

2:26So I would argue that the fear or resistance is not telling you not to do something, that those things are actually an indicator of the exact opposite. I think that Steven Pressfield says this so beautifully in his book, The War of Art, with this quote. He says, fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember one rule of thumb. The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it. So, JLD, I'll close up this thought with one tidbit from my work. So I work with female entrepreneurs who have dreams of writing a book, who all come from different levels of business.

3:09There's the woman who's leading an eight-figure business. Then there's the woman who's just starting out, no business, but an idea that she can't let go of. And they're all so different, right? But there's one thing they have in common. That one thing that 100 % of all of them have faced is that they all have felt that fear, that resistance, that nervous self-doubt at some point or another during their book journey, no matter their business success. And how did they get past it? By ignoring that instinct to quit and working through it. Well, this interview has officially started in Fuego of Fire Nation.

3:46Shannon. Fun fact, Jessica, my wife was KLE, but now she is officially KLD. So we're going to try to get that. I like it. Now, as I mentioned in the intro Fire Nation, we're talking about how to use the micro book method to write a business building book in less than 90 days. How the heck, Jessica, did you get started in this industry? Yeah. So I've spent the last three years inside of my business, Soul Fluential Publishing, helping business owners make their best selling book dreams come true. But before all of this, I had my own book dream. I always wanted to write a book. My whole life I did.

4:22But like a lot of people, I put it off mostly because I felt like, quite honestly, I wasn't worthy. Like I hadn't accomplished enough or hadn't have enough success or made enough money. And then I had a business that I founded, which was a subscription box company, really take off and it catapulted my confidence. And it was like that success finally granted me that permission to write a book. So in 2018, I self-published a book titled She Creates the Way. It became a number one bestseller in multiple categories. And of course, I was overjoyed about it. And I'd like to say the rest was history, but it's what came next that really was a light bulb moment for me and completely cemented why I advocate so heavily for entrepreneurs to have a book.

5:03You see, when I became a bestselling author, I had a secret. And that was that my husband and I were expecting our first child. I was pregnant. And this was after going through some fertility issues. So this felt to me even more exhilarating than a best-selling book did. And I was on a high with all these amazing things happening to me in my life until I wasn't. I suffered a miscarriage just weeks after becoming a best-selling author. And obviously, it was extremely difficult, especially after experiencing such a professional high and then going into a personal low. It hit me really hard. And you know, it's interesting.

5:39When we're going through something tumultuous, it really causes us to sit back and reevaluate things in our life. And for me, I knew I needed to shift something. And that equaled shutting down my subscription box business, which was terrifying because it was my biggest success to date. But I just knew deep within my bones that I had to. And I had no clue what I was going to do next. I had no business any longer, right? I had shut that down. I didn't know what I was going to do moving forward. But, you know, I had that book. And then out of nowhere, and like a poof of mystical fairy dust, I started experiencing what I now call BME, or the book magic effect.

6:19Things like invitations to speak at a summit, or, you know, podcast and media opportunities, interest in services in my coaching that I never had before, and I didn't even offer coaching at the time. So my book propelled a brand new endeavor in business coaching, and I was able to essentially launch a new business on the back end of a book and exceed my subscription box profits within one year. It was because having that book and being a bestselling author brought automatic authority, credibility, connection, and visibility, And that's when I had that light bulb moment, GLD. It was that the book catapults the business.

6:54You don't need the super successful business first to get the permission slip to write the book. You need to give yourself permission to publish the book. So if you're listening, looking for that permission to put your book out into the world, here it is, permission granted. Permission granted, Fire Nation. Now, you've already kind of dove into this a little bit, but I want to dive a little deeper because you advocate incredibly heavily for entrepreneurs to have a book. Tell us why. Yeah. You know, there's so many ways to build a brand nowadays, right? Like you can start a YouTube channel, you can publish a blog, watch a podcast.

7:33You can even start dancing funny on TikTok, kidding, kind of. But the reason why I believe a book beats all of these is what I call the power of one. The book, even though it's just one thing, holds so much power. And you can't say that about those other mediums. So let's take this podcast, for example. The true weight of EO Fire and how impressive it is can be attributed primarily to its volume. I mean, 3 ,000 plus episodes? Holy cannoli. Like JLD, imagine if you just put out one episode and told everyone to check out your podcast and you only ever had one episode. I mean, it's not that impressive, right?

8:13So it's the same thing with all the others I mentioned. You know, what if you just had one video on YouTube, one blog post, one TikTok or Instagram post? One doesn't carry any weight unless it's your one book. because even though it's only one thing, the fact that it's a complete book with your stories and your strategies, it comes with that built-in authority. So what I tell everyone is you can have all those other avenues and mediums and the good news is they all feed into each other. And when done right, you can leverage all to benefit each other like you do, JLD. Your Instagram feeds into your podcast, your podcast promotes your book, et cetera, et cetera.

8:49But what I want the listener to know is that a book has the power of one and all other mediums don't. I love that idea of the power of one. I mean, if I had released one podcast episode, Fire Nation, frankly, 99.9 % of you would have never heard of it. But I've only launched one book in the 10 plus years I've been doing this. And that book is the cornerstone for so much of what I do. So if we are going to write this book, Jessica, it needs to build our brand. It needs to build our business. Tell us how we can accomplish that feat. Yeah. So you go big, and I say big in all caps. And JLD, I know you love acronyms as much as I do.

9:34So I call it the big three rules to micro book magic. In other words, B-I-G, bite-sized, individualized, gravitational. Let's talk about those in a little bit more detail. So that first rule is bite-sized, meaning you make it short. So one of my book clients actually has a connection at Barnes & Noble and was privileged to be able to sit in on a call with executives about what types of books they're currently stocking their shelves with. And one executive said, short is the new long. We're looking for airport shop books. So these higher ups, they know what's selling in today's market, right? Like gone are the days of encyclopedia length books.

10:13Readers, they want short and sweet, the type of book that they can find inside the middle of an airport terminal store where they can envision starting and finishing nearly an entire book on one long haul flight. So here's the thing, right? We live in an age when bite-sized solutions are highly valuable. By providing a short and sweet book with concise and actionable strategies, you're connecting with your reader in exactly the manner that they want, plus you're leaving them wanting more from you. And that's when they'll turn to your business offerings and services. And that is a win-win. So that's that first rule.

10:49The second rule is individualized. Make it niche. So in our quick hit 10 second video era, your book's focus should be super niche, offering a specialized pathway forward. And there's really two ways to narrow down a book topic if you're having a difficult time trying to niche down what you already do and what you already teach. and that is you can look at first who you serve, so that's obviously your ideal reader, or you can look at how you help, which is your solution path forward. So instead of generic, think about your book if you were to individualize it for just one perfect fit reader or client and then niche your topic accordingly.

11:29Let's talk about two hypothetical examples here. So if someone were to come to me and say, Jessica, I'm gonna write a book. I wanna help people lose weight. And I would say, okay, well, let's look at your how and let's look at your who. First, your who. So maybe you help the overworked mom. And the way you help her is you help her lose that lingering last 10 pounds via daily green smoothies. Pretty different, right? And then that's a second example here is maybe you help couples stay together. So looking at that who and that how, we might break it down further to I help hardworking, dual income married couples stay connected and in love with simple morning affection affirmations.

12:12That's that second rule. And then the last rule here is my favorite one. And that's the G, gravitational. In other words, activate the core authority emotions to pull the reader back to you. This is the real secret sauce. So in my work, I've learned that there's five core triggers that combine to form instant authority, making the pathway from your book back to your business a no-brainer. These together create a gravitational pull, luring that reader automatically back to you in your paid offerings and services. Let's talk about those five triggers. That first trigger is credibility, that trust that's built between you and the reader.

12:55That second trigger is inspiration, which becomes the driving influence for the reader and gives them excitement to be able to follow along through your methods and your frameworks and your strategies. Third trigger is likability. It's what makes, well, quite honestly, your reader like you and want to view you as relatable and authentic. The fourth trigger is connection. It's what pulls the reader further into your world, making them want to consume more of your content offerings and services. And then that last trigger is encouragement. It's what drives the reader into action with you as the cheerleader supporting them along the way.

13:34So when your book includes the five core triggers, authority is automatic and the reader is drawn back to you like a gravitational pull. So the way that you create a book that builds a brand and a business is by following the three big rules to microbook magic. Fire Nation, I hope you were taking notes because there were plenty of value bombs. And you are right, Jessica. I do love acronyms of all way, shapes, and forms. Of course, focus being my favorite. Follow one course until success. But of those value bombs, Fire Nation, I really hope that you were dialed in on those five triggers. Those were so key and so critical and so valuable.

14:13And we have a lot to talk about when we get back from thanking our sponsors. Tech is great. It can help us grow and scale our businesses in so many ways, but it can also be clunky, time-consuming to manage, and expensive. That's why I'm excited to introduce you to HubSpot CRM, the best platform to speed up your sales and scale your business without blowing your budget. HubSpot's all-in-one CRM helps you automate tedious tasks, keep track of all your deals in one place, and make sure your whole team has access to the same data. No need to worry about the management and cost of a massive tech stack.

14:48HubSpot gives you everything you need all in one place. Plus, with fast activation, HubSpot makes it easy for the entire team to get up to speed, saving you precious time. And best of all, you can try before you buy. No commitment, no hidden fees, not even a credit card is needed to sign up. Get started for free at HubSpot.com. That's HubSpot.com. Jessica, we're back, and I want to move into the micro book method and 90-day manuscript timeline. I think a lot of people have just doubts about if this is really possible, that 90 days from today, they could have a manuscript. Let's talk about it. Yeah, so the microbook method takes exactly what we just talked about, those five core triggers, and puts a usable skeleton around it so that you can write a book with a clear framework, removing the unknown and uncertainty that usually accompanies the writing process with five essential stories.

15:46But JLD, I think it's important to first share why I created this framework. And that's out of sheer necessity. You see, last year, I realized I was ignoring that like tiny little voice again, that voice that was speaking to me, telling me to write another book. I pushed it away. I tried to convince myself that I absolutely did not have time for another book because quite honestly, I didn't have time. I was caring full time for a toddler who has multiple life-threatening anaphylactic food allergies, who also hates sleeping. In other words, I wasn't sleeping, and I was running my business full-time, and I was doing all the things, and I was so burnt out and tired and exhausted.

16:25But that voice, it persisted. And every time I celebrated a personal book client win, I felt a small ping of jealousy. So I was desperate to bring my own book vision to life, to find a shortcut, to getting it all done, to actually make this book dream a reality. And I know that there's listeners out there that can relate to that feeling of needing to get it out into the world. So that is why I created the microbook method, because I was determined to innovate a distinctively different book creation process. And selfishly, I wanted to have a clear framework or a shortcut, if you will, to writing a book.

17:00But I also knew that I wanted others to have one. Other people that felt like they didn't have time or didn't know where to start could have an easier way to get there too. So my first book, She Creates the Way, took over 18 months for me to write. No framework. I didn't have any idea what I was doing. And then my second most recent book, Author Entrepreneur, took only 12 weeks. So like you mentioned, it's a pretty different style of writing because it goes so quickly. So let's jump into what this actually looks like. Like I mentioned, the microbook method shows you the definitive stories to present in each chapter of your book so that you can activate those core authority emotions as you weave in your strategies and your teachings.

17:42So when you look at the microbook method as a whole, you're taking those five essential stories and you're essentially copying and pasting them into chapters. And they are there in a specific order in order to activate those core triggers in a specific order for the reader. That first essential story is chapter one. That's where you're sharing your origin story. You're telling your reader how you came to be in business. It's the why, it's the what, it's the how you got started doing what you're doing in your industry. And that triggers credibility for the reader. That second essential story is chapter two.

18:17That's your epiphany bridge. That's where you're sharing not just how you got started, but how you actually overcame the obstacles that got in your way when you applied what you knew, right? Getting from point A to point B, forming that bridge after you encountered a struggle or a stumbling block along the way. And that is really inspiring for the reader to learn because they know that they're not alone in encountering these hurdles. And then the third chapter or the third story is a relatable funny. You know, it's a good natured story that feels like the type of story that your BFF might share with you over brunch.

18:53And this one is really lighthearted, and it's actually strategically placed in the middle of your manuscript so that it can break up any heaviness that you have within your other essential stories. And then the fourth story and the fourth chapter is your vulnerable share. That's where you're sharing something raw, real, vulnerable, authentic. This is where you open up about a story or something that is sensitive to you. This is where you're triggering that connection. And then finally, chapter five, the last essential story here is your transformational tale, which explains a clear before and after attaining the desired outcome to the reader.

19:30And it's placed last in these suggested chapter orders because it serves as the final encouraging story to propel the reader forward. So once you have this basic microbook method structure, it's easy to map out your manuscript to be able to start and finish it in 90 days or 12 weeks. So think of it like this. You give two weeks per chapter to flesh out your ideas, complete your stories and your strategies, and write each chapter. That's 10 weeks total. Then you have an additional two weeks to tighten up, self-edit, and write your introduction. And if you find that you have far more than five chapters inside of you, great.

20:09Use the five chapters as your foundation and work outwards from there. Or even better, you can plan to write several books. Fire Nation, that was a mini masterclass in the right way to write a book. And Jessica, we've shared so much about how to use a micro book method to write a business building book in not more than, but less than 90 days. What is the final takeaway that you really want to make sure Fire Nation gets from our entire conversation today? Yeah, really, it's just to write that book. You know, the world needs your story, and no one can benefit from your book and from your stories and from your strategies if it's living inside of you.

20:54So put it out there. You won't regret it. Your brand and your business will not regret it. And I'm excited to see what sort of stories and books are created. I'm a big believer in saying, Fire Nation, you have an obligation to share the number one solution to a real problem that you're holding inside of you because it is really gonna have massive impact for those people that need it. Jessica, how can Fire Nation get ahold of you? What call to action do you have for our listeners? And then we'll say goodbye. Two places. So you can buy my new book, Author Entrepreneur on Amazon. So everything we talked about here in this audio masterclass and so much more is in that book.

21:31And then also on my website, I've actually got an exclusive free bundle just for EO Fire listeners at jessicadebride.co slash fire. Lots of amazing stuff there. I've even included an exclusive case study. JLD, you don't know this yet, but I created an exclusive case study called The Five Things JLD Did Right as an Author and how you can duplicate it with your book. Of course, this is an outsider's perspective, but that's exclusive again at jessicadebride.co slash fire. And believe me, Fire Nation, I also did plenty of things wrong. So it would have been nice to have this interview with Jessica pre the launch of my book, but you know, what can you do?

22:11Can't turn back the clock, but fire nation, you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with. You've been hanging out with JLD and JLD today. I mean, Jessica, I've never, never said that before. That is so fantastic. Keep up the heat fire nation. And if you have any direct questions for Jessica, go to eofire.com type Jessica in the search bar. The show notes page will pop right up with ways to connect, go get her book, how to get that amazing bundle. One more time, Jessica, what's the URL for that FIRE bundle? Yep, it's jessicadebry.co slash FIRE. And DeBry is D-E-B-R-Y, Delta Echo, Bravo, Romeo, Yankee.

22:55Jessica, thank you for sharing your truth, your knowledge, your value with Fire Nation today. For that, we salute you and we'll catch you on the flip side. Thanks, JLD. do. Hey, Fire Nation, a huge thank you to our sponsors and Jessica for sponsoring today's episode. And Fire Nation, are you ready to rock your very own podcast? Check out our free podcasting course where I will teach you how to create and launch your podcast for free. Freepodcastcourse.com. I'll catch you there or on the flip side. Outbound Squad, hosted by Jason Bay, is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

23:30Tune in for convos with leading sales experts and top performing reps to help you land more meetings with your ideal clients. One of my faves, the monthly app with Jason and Ethan, where they share hacks, tips, and tricks. Listen to Outbound Squad wherever you get your podcasts.