Marcie’s mission is to assist clients who want to remove clutter and chaos from their environments, thereby improving the quality of their lives.
What was your path towards publication like?
I have been writing since I was very young. I wrote atrocious poetry and dreadful prose when I was a teenager. As an adult, I tried writing short stories and a novel, but they aren’t very good. I used to say that I thought I had a book in me, but I never envisioned writing nonfiction.
I resisted writing this book for several years, even though clients and participants in my workshops asked for it. I have been in homes that are filled with books that the owners hoped would somehow transform their lives. Just like buying a diet book isn’t going to make you lose weight, I know that my book isn’t going to change lives if the reader doesn’t commit to making changes.
I struggled with wanting to get the information out and knowing I might contribute to book clutter. I had intended to publish it only as an e-book so readers wouldn’t have to find a place to keep it, but I learned that my audience wanted to read a physical book.
Once I made the decision to write the book, I told everyone I was doing it and I started referring to myself as a writer, then I changed my marketing materials to reflect the upcoming book. The truth was, though, that I spent more time researching, thinking and talking about the book than I did writing.
I ran into an acquaintance, at a networking event, and we both mentioned that we were writing books. She asked if I would consider being accountability partners and I agreed right away.
Once I had to report to someone what I did each week, the writing process became an assignment instead of a dreamy fantasy. I set up time to write every day and I noted the other activities, like research, so I realized how I was using my time. I don’t believe I would have finished the book without having this structure.
I looked at all the publishing options and self publishing seemed to be the most cost effective and expedient way to make my book available to the greatest number of people.
Since this was my first publishing experience, I also wanted to have control over all the aspects of the process, including the design, pricing and release date.
What is your biggest obstacle when it comes to pitching yourself as an author and what steps have you taken to overcome that obstacle?
I have never been a great self promoter, although I have been more comfortable marketing my book than my business.
People have responded enthusiastically to the book, even before it was published, which made me more willing to talk about it. I spend a lot of time reading blogs and listening to webinars about marketing. Of course, I could say that I was simply following the steps in the Goal Setting section of my book!
Because I believe so strongly in the book’s message, I am dedicated to getting it out to as many people as I can.
How do you balance your life as an entrepreneur with your duties as a parent or spouse?
I coach people on making choices about how they spend their time, so I feel like I have to model appropriate behavior. Although I work long hours, I don’t allow it to interfere with my personal life. I rarely schedule clients in the evenings or on weekends and my writing and administrative work can be done any time during the day. I have much more freedom now than when I worked in an office.
What is your best advice for getting past writer's block?
Because I attempt to practice what I encourage my clients to do, I created a writing routine.
I schedule time every day to write and I have stuck with it, even when I have nothing to say. Some days the writing comes effortlessly and two hours can fly by, while other days are torturous and all I do is move words around on the page or reformat headings. Whether I have a productive session or not, I sit in front of my computer and make some movement toward meeting my goal.
What was the best writing-related advice you ever received?
Dan Janal of PR Leads told me, “You are not writing the definitive organizing book.”
Once I realized that I didn’t have to include everything I knew and address all of the concerns anyone could have, I was free to finally finish the book. I removed sections that really didn’t fit and set them aside to use in another book.
What do you feel is the single most detrimental thing an entrepreneur could do to destroy his/her career?
You have to pay attention.
There are so many details that need attention, including finances, marketing, administration, customer service and personnel. If you focus on just one thing and neglect the others, you will not be successful.
My suggestion is to have a calendar/planning tool that works for you and write everything down. I recently worked with someone who said she keeps all her customer information in her head. That is not the way to run a successful business.
How did you get started in your line of work?
I experienced three job layoffs in seven years. I had considered working as an organizing consultant even when I was working full time in other jobs, but I was concerned about working on my own. After the third layoff, I realized that it was a good time to open my own company and if I didn’t try, I would always regret not taking the chance.
Before starting my own business, I assisted people in a less formal manner. Because I have always had strong organization skills, people relied on me to help them sort out their cluttered home and work spaces, then create uncomplicated solutions.
What is your goal when providing your services?
My goal is to help people save time and money by teaching them to let go of what they don’t need and find room for what they value.
People call me because they are overwhelmed.
They find that they’re not able to keep up with all of the details of life, whether at home, work, or both. Just about everybody lives with some degree of clutter; however, when clutter keeps you from functioning productively or from enjoying your environment, you feel stress. That stress affects your social or family life and can affect your earnings, as well.
Can you tell us a little bit about your latest book?
Whether it’s caused by things, commitments or thoughts, clutter holds you back. Letting go of it will change your life. The Clutter Book: When You Can't Let Go is meant for people who need guidance and structure to meet their goals of eliminating clutter from their lives.
I firmly, yet sensitively, move readers through what can be very painful experiences. I’m also a cheerleader, encouraging them to take the next step so they can enjoy their successes.
My book comes from a place of acceptance, is written for adults and includes exercises for readers to participate in the process. I teach them process that I hope will make a profound difference in how they see their relationship to things. In addition, I want to inspire them to think about how they live their lives and what they want to change. Most importantly, I encourage readers to enjoy their lives and their choices.
How did you come up with the idea for your book?
Before I committed to writing a book, I read what seems like every existing organizing book to make sure that my message was distinctive.
I admire many of the writers, but they all seemed to be missing something. Some of them are too academic, some don’t offer practical advice, others are written in a comic tone that didn’t appeal to me.
For the past few years, I have been thinking differently about clutter. As a group, organizers tend to promote living with less. I endorse a “simple living” approach and I now recognize that doesn’t work with a lot of people. So the aim of the book is to help people learn to live with what they have. Some people need to be surrounded by stuff, but they also need to live safely and comfortably. This book is for them, too.
What was the most difficult aspect of writing this book?
The most difficult part of the process for me has been the editing.
Although I hired an editor and I reviewed the manuscript several times, there were still errors that got through. Three times over the course of a month I had to submit a proof, wait for it to be printed and shipped, read it and make changes before I was satisfied that it was accurate.
Reading the book as an actual book, not as words on a computer screen, made a huge difference. I took each of the proofs to bed with me, like I would read any other book, and marked them up. I was frustrated that I kept finding things to change, but I think I learned a lot and ended up with a much better book.
Did you have to do any special research for your book?
As this is a nonfiction book, the content needed to reflect current research about human behavior. I did a lot of reading about decision making, procrastination and perfectionism; these are issues my clients struggle with. Readers who are interested in the science behind the approaches in the book will appreciate the knowledge as they make changes.
If you could choose just one thing for your book to accomplish, what would it be?
My wish is that someone who has been struggling with a relationship to things reads this book and finds the strength to change. That change can manifest itself in letting go of relationships that aren’t healthy or behaviors that aren’t productive or stuff that doesn’t add value to his or her life. Letting go doesn’t mean dumping everything you have; it’s about choosing what works for you and discarding the rest.
What’s ahead for your writing?
I'm working on a companion workbook. The Clutter Book contains exercises and checklists; the workbook will allow readers to print full-size copies of the exercises and write all over them, then print more when they want to repeat an exercise. The workbook also includes worksheets that workshop participants have found to be invaluable.
I’m also considering creating more specific books targeted to students, older adults and people with attention challenges. These are groups with significant concerns who would benefit from a book tailored to their needs.
Thanks, Alyice. This was a very enlightening exercise for me! I look forward to reading more interviews on your blog.
You can learn more about Marcie Lovett at www.organizedbymarcie.com
Order The Clutter Book Today!
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