Welcome (back) to the Influence Online Book Discussion!
I can’t believe we’re already to Week 6 of our interviews around the book, Influence: Building a Platform that Elevates Jesus (Not Me).
Interested in getting a copy of the book? You can buy it here:
Just so you know, there are affiliate links in this post, at no extra cost to you. Thanks in advance for your support!
Have you been tracking along with the interview series?
Every Monday and Wednesday for the past five weeks, I’ve been posting a conversation with a fellow author.
Here’s a full recap of our online book discussion so far:
- The Tension of Platform Building as a Christian with Shannon Popkin
- Overcoming Fear as a Christian Writer with Alia Joy Hagenbach
- How Your Calling Can Help You Overcome Your Fears with Grace P. Cho
- Growing in Confidence as a Christian Writer with Quantrilla Ard
- Should Christian Writers Strategize or Just Trust God? with Asheritah Ciuciu
- Asking the Hard Questions with Adriel Booker
- Fighting Comparison as Christian Writers with Shannon Popkin
- Getting Honest about Ulterior Motives with Kristi Anyabwile
- How to Use Your Platform to Serve Others with Susie Finkbeiner
- The Tension of Platform Building as a Christian Author with Shawn Smucker
If you’re anything like me, you love free stuff! So we created Bible memory verse cards and printable worksheets to use when you’re reading the book.
Sign up to download them below:
Without further ado, help me welcome my guest today, Aliza Latta. We’re chatting about topics from Chapter 11 of Influence, which is called Focus.
This was such an incredibly encouraging conversation, and I trust it will be a great blessing to you as well.
In the following recording, Aliza and I are talking about the time she TURNED DOWN A BOOK DEAL, why she did it, and some honest (and hard!) truths about self worth and identity as Christian writers.
I hope you enjoy the interview!
Want to listen to the audio only? Here you go!
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Aliza Latta is a Canadian writer, journalist, and artist, who is a huge fan of telling stories. She writes about faith and young adulthood on her blog alizalatta.com, and is the author of the novel, Come Find Me, Sage Parker. Find her on Instagram as @alizalatta.
Thank you so much for joining me and Aliza today! Our last video interview to discuss the book, Influence: Building a Platform that Elevates Jesus (Not Me) is coming Wednesday! Hope to see you then.
Did you get your freebies yet? If not, you can sign up to do so below:
Aliza, thank you so much for sharing your story – and even more, for digging deep and being honest about that desire to be “known”. Love your honesty and integrity. I think there are probably many books published for that very reason (which isn’t a good one).
“I have come to understand that who I am is so much deeper than launching a book.” So true! I love the way you’ve thought through this so deeply at such a young age.
There is such freedom in being fully known by the Father, and writing out of that experience, don’t you think? When we can be both upward and outward facing as we write, not writing to receive something to fill our empty spots, that’s where I think our words will find their gravity.
Not to say that when I write to serve, things will just fall into place. I think (hope!) that I’m writing with that purpose right now, and yet it is an inch by inch struggle to the finish line (manuscript due in May!). Yet there is a settled peace to knowing that these words are for Him and them, not to fill me. Sometimes I stumble back into, “But what if this book isn’t even good??!” And that’s when I have to repackage my words as gifts, not as a commodity.
Thanks again for this interview and also for permission to share your story in our book “influence”. May the Lord direct each and every step you take in this writing journey, and may you find your greatest fulfillment always in Him!
Much love, Shannon