Some of You Are Part of the Reason I Wrote This Novel

Many of you here on Markethive have known me for a long time.

I've been part of this community for many years. Some of you know me. Some of you I've worked with, exchanged messages with, or simply gotten to know as we've all tried to navigate this strange and constantly changing world of building something online.

So I wanted to share something with you that is pretty personal.

I just published my first novel. It's called Brighthaven Bay.

And believe it or not, many of you are part of the audience I had in mind while I was writing it.

Not because Brighthaven Bay is a book about Markethive. It isn't.

And it's not really a book about online marketing, either.

It's a story about something that comes before all of that.

It's about figuring out what you actually want to do with your life—and then finding a direction that can take you there.

I Had Many of the Same Questions

For years, I've been interested in building an income online.

And like a lot of people, I've asked many of the same questions:

What should I be doing?

What should I be promoting?

Which opportunities should I pursue?

What am I missing?

Why do some people seem to find their path while others keep bouncing from one idea to another?

I've studied online marketing for years. I've looked at different business models, programs, products, strategies and tools. And somewhere along the way, I began to wonder whether I—and perhaps a lot of other people—had been asking the wrong questions.

Maybe the first question isn't:

“What should I promote?”

Maybe it's:

“What should I be building?”

And that question eventually led to others.

What am I naturally drawn toward?

What do I care enough about to stay with?

What kind of work would actually mean something to me?

Could the things I've experienced, learned and become good at point toward something I haven't recognized yet?

And what would happen if I figured that out before choosing the tools, platforms and opportunities I was going to use?

As I kept asking those questions, something unexpected happened.

The answers began pointing toward the subject matter of a book.

And Eventually, Brighthaven Bay Appeared

I didn't want to write another business book telling people how to make money online.

There are plenty of those.

Instead, I began imagining a story about ordinary people asking some of those same questions.

People who had reached different places in their lives but shared a feeling that there might be something else waiting for them.

A college student trying to figure out what comes next.

A business owner wondering whether the life he built is still the life he wants.

People who have responsibilities, doubts and fears—but also interests, abilities and experiences that may be pointing somewhere.

And at the center of it is a question I've asked myself many times:

What if the path you're on isn't really the one you want?

That became Brighthaven Bay.

Why I Wanted to Share It Here

Over the years, I've watched people come into the online world searching for greater independence, more control over their time, additional income, or perhaps eventually a way to leave a job they don't particularly care about.

But there's an easy trap to fall into.

We can become so focused on finding something to promote that we never stop long enough to figure out what we actually want to build.

We promote one thing.

Then another.

Then another.

And pretty soon we're trying to make ten different things work, hoping one of them finally catches on.

I've done my share of searching too.

That's one of the reasons Brighthaven Bay exists.

The idea behind the story is different:

First find some clarity about who you are, what matters to you and the Direction you want to travel. Then choose the vehicles and tools that can help you get there.

That doesn't make platforms like Markethive less important.

I think it can make them more useful.

Because once you know what you're trying to build, all these tools suddenly have a purpose.

You're no longer simply looking for something to promote.

You're building something that belongs to you.

I'd Like to Invite You to Step Inside the world I’ve created in the novel.

I created a website where you can explore the world of Brighthaven Bay before deciding whether the novel is something you'd enjoy.

You'll meet some of the characters, see some of the places that make up the town, and get a feel for what the story is about.

And you can read the first four chapters free.

No purchase is necessary. Just come take a look.

Step inside Brighthaven Bay:
BrighthavenBay.com

And while you're there, there's more waiting for you.

You can get access to the 23-page Alignment Workbook I created as a companion to the novel. It takes some of the questions explored in the story and helps you begin asking them about your own life:

What's important to you?

What should you be building?

And, what Direction might be right for you?

You'll also find a link on the homepage to a new Brighthaven Bay Community. There's no opt-in required to join the conversation. Whether you've already started reading the book, you're reading the first four chapters, or you're simply interested in the ideas behind it, you're welcome there.

If you've known me here on Markethive for a while, I'd especially enjoy hearing what you think.

This project grew out of questions I've been asking for a very long time.

I have a feeling I'm not the only one who's been asking them.

As a novel, it's written as a story first. It's meant to be read and enjoyed.

— Greg Hoyt
Author of Brighthaven Bay