Commandment #1: Love thy reader as you love thy book.

This is the first book marketing commandment and the first button on the shirt. Get this one right, and everything else lines up. Get it wrong, and no amount of marketing can save you.

• One side of this mug reads LOVE THY READER. 
  
• The other side reads LOVE THY BOOK.

Loving your reader means caring more about what they crave than what you want to say. It means swallowing your ego, listening to real beta readers, and writing the kind of book they’re hungry for even when it hurts to kill your darlings.

Loving your book means refusing to settle for “good enough.” It means committing to excellent writing: sharpening every sentence until the story is the absolute best it can be.

These two loves are the tension that creates great books.

This is the 1st Commandment Mug. Fill it with your morning brew and commit to love your reader and love your book. You will serve them with excellence and craft a story that honors both.

Every sip is a reminder. Every refill is a recommitment. Love thy reader as you love thy book.