You Don't Need to Read, Buy, or Review My Book
Calling Out the Shadows: A Clarity Over Comfort Podcast

FULL TRANSCRIPT

How is this for a different take? You do not need to read my book. You do not need to buy my book. And you do not need to review my book. I doubt my book will change your life. I do not see it as a must-read, as the summer read, or the book you have to buy now. And I find it obnoxious how so many people, instead of talking about what their book is about, where it came from, and what it means to them, reach for the oversaturated, overstated, hype claim of telling people what they need.

Not asking you to read, buy, or review

Add to that: you will feel this, you will experience that, you will walk away knowing this. What right do I have, and what right does any author have, to make these subjective claims come off like they are objective truths? I have a real issue with that. So with this book, you do not need it. If what you see on the back cover, or on social media, or what you have read about it interests you, I hope you will consider it. And if you are drawn to leaving a review, by all means do it. Reviews do help authors. But this whole quid pro quo, you have to leave me a five star, I do not understand. What if the book is not for you? I do not want you to lie. If you feel drawn to writing a positive review, or a negative one, it is your opinion and your review, and I have no problem with that. If you are just not someone who leaves reviews, do not. I am not going to guilt anyone into reviews, and I am not going to push, pressure, or promise anything. Of all the things I have ever done, this book is the one I am most proud of.

Subjective hopes as objective truth

Someone else might take something different from it. They might find the smaller chapters in the middle to be off. They might not like the story, or me, or my approach, and they have every right not to. Just as I have every right to say this was close to my heart, something I wanted to put out. I do hope some of the sections could inspire, but I am not going to tell you that you will be inspired. I do hope some sections might open your eyes to ideas around AI and around handling high-conflict parenting situations and difficult individuals. But I am not going to tell you it is the answer. It may be an answer, or it may have some answers. I am not saying front to back that you will love it. That is also why I created a version called the Skimmer's Edition, which is just the chapter title, the opening thought, the pull quote, and the closing thought.

Invite, do not push

If we could all, and I am stating this as an opinion, move with subjectivity, with humility, and with the consideration that so many people are in the middle of the yell, tell, and sell. You have to do this, you will feel that, you must do this, this is what I need from you, you have to tell everyone about this book. I do not think you need to tell everyone about my book. If there are certain people who should know about it, by all means share it with them. But if we move back to a humble, subjective, perceptive place, where we understand there are many people out there with a yell, a tell, and a sell, and if we invite, if we choose to engage, if we choose to consider, and if we let our intention respect the perceptions of audiences who are almost being attacked, it might let us connect a little more. It might let us see things in a softer light. And it might end up being some of the best marketing and messaging possible, inviting the most people in the best way.