Photo by Ki’ami King (Depth of Violet)
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Welcome to Season 5 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully.
In this episode, Becky talks to Ginelle Testa—Author of Make a Home Out of You: A Memoir, which is launching next week. Ginelle shares the inspiration behind writing a deeply personal book and her journey of overcoming addiction and finding self-love. She also talks about how showing up authentically in online spaces helped her grow her social media presence and reach new audiences with her important message.
Key Points From This Episode:
[01:40] Ginelle shares about herself and her work in the world.
[02:27] Ginelle talks about the meaning behind her new memoir, Make a Home Out of You, and her publishing path.
[03:17] Discover what inspired Ginelle to write her memoir, especially one that digs into challenging emotional times in her life.
[04:17] Ginelle reveals what inspired her to translate that level of authenticity to her social media channels.
[05:07] Ginelle describes some of the challenges she had to overcome as she was writing her memoir and sharing about intense experiences in her life.
[06:10] Learn how and why “edginess” helped Ginelle go viral.
[07:40] Ginelle explains how she approaches sharing about her vulnerable experiences—in real-time vs. letting some time pass.
[09:11] Ginelle shares what she has enjoyed most about showcasing her author journey, even the emotional moments, and how it has helped build momentum for her book.
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[11:27] How does Ginelle stay consistent and intentional with her posting? She provides some tips.
[12:35] Ginelle discusses how creating short-form videos has been a major part of her growth, finding new audiences, and her strategies for creating videos.
[14:14] Discover how long Ginelle has been showing up in online spaces and how much of it was in anticipation of a future book launch.
[15:00] Ginelle talks about how she prioritizes the initiatives she has energy for.
[15:55] Ginelle shares what she hopes people will take away from the experience of reading her memoir and engaging with her social content.
[16:39] Ginelle provides some final insights about the author journey and the benefits of promoting her work in an honest, authentic way.
Action Steps:
- Be vulnerable. Showing up online in a vulnerable and authentic way is how Ginelle has grown her following—being exactly who she is. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.
- Experiment with video content. Consistently showing up with video content on any social platform is a key way to expand your reach and connect with new audiences. Do what feels comfortable for you and take that first step in sharing more videos on your social channels.
Resources:
- Pre-order Ginelle’s book, Make a Home Out of You: A Memoir, launching on September 3rd.
- Explore Ginelle’s website.
- Follow Ginelle on Instagram and TikTok.
Key Quotes:
I found the writing to be deeply personal, and the social media to reflect that. —Ginelle Testa
I think that sometimes in order to go viral, you have to be a little edgy. —Ginelle Testa
I love sharing my journey, and being vulnerable is just part of my process. —Ginelle Testa
I regularly am on my For You Page on TikTok, or just the Explore Page on Instagram, seeing what other people are posting, and I’ll get inspired by that. —Ginelle Testa
My growth has come entirely from videos, and it’s been a really important part of my strategy. —Ginelle Testa
A lot of my content is about just the feeling of enoughness. —Ginelle Testa
Be flexible and brave, and submit pieces to places that you know will get you traffic and exposure. —Ginelle Testa
Sign up for the weekly newsletter to connect with Becky Robinson and gain access to ongoing learning and conversation.
Read our latest article based on key takeaways from this episode.
Explore our archives! Listen to Becky’s five favorite episodes:
- Episode 125 with Michael Bungay Stanier
- Episode 121 with Juliet Starrett
- Episode 112 with Clint Pulver
- Episode 108 with AJ Harper
- Episode 106 with Jane Friedman
I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.