Target reached!
If we hit the stretch goal, then that opens up the ability to do an actual proper re...
AntiManipulation
Elgin, Moray, United Kingdom
Aim
This project is to help fund the editing, cover design, and publication of AntiManipulation, exposing how we are tricked into buying.
When you buy something, are you buying it because you want to buy, or because they want you to buy?
And how would you even know the difference?
There are countless unscrupulous individuals and businesses out there, each with a very strong vested interest in you buying their stuff - whether that's products, courses, services, or even ideas, beliefs, and theories.
So strong is their need for you to buy from them, that they will stop at nothing in their attempts to manipulate you into buying.
Imagine if you could find out about their approaches, so that you could protect yourself?
About The Book
"No tool is good or bad, but using it makes it so"
Sales and selling is everywhere.
As is buying.
And usually that's absolutely fine - people want to buy, people have stuff to sell, deals are done. It's all part of daily modern life.
However.
Sometimes, the people selling are less than honourable in their approaches.
Sometimes they use a variety of tools, trick, and techniques to covertly manipulate us into buying their stuff - even if we don't actually want it or can't actually afford it.
It's insidious.
You k now the sort of thing.
The massively inflated prices with huge discounts.
Or the ridiculously small number of spaces left
And the constant calls to run to the back of the room to get this special offer.
This is just the tip of the iceberg (by the time they reach this part in the proceedings, you have been manipulated on multiple levels for hours, sometimes even days, without realising it).
It's everywhere.
And it's time it was exposed!
Which is where AntiManipulation comes in.
Let's be completely clear here - this is NOT a book condemning selling. There's nothing wrong with selling. I mean, if people weren't selling, where would we buy our groceries?
It's absolutely not about "naming and shaming". There will be no references to individuals of companies, not even veiled hints. That's not what the book is about.
What AntiManipulation IS about is exposing the tools, tricks, and techniques abused by the unscrupulous to manipulate us.
Whether that's to buy their latest course, their latest products, or even their ideologies.
By developing an appreciation of how they manipulate us, we can all be able to protect and defend ourselves, to be better able to make sure that if we do buy something, we are buying because WE want to, and not because THEY want us to!
That is why I am writing AntiManipulation - to shed a spotlight on the murky underbelly in which people in many different industries misuse and abuse a whole suite of tools with the sole purpose of manipulating as many people as possible into buying their stuff, even though they don't need it, don't want it, and often can't actually afford it.
By shining that spotlight, by helping us to be better aware, we can spot when these are being used on us, so that we can protect ourselves against us, which in turn enables us to be better placed to make a more informed decision about whether or not ultimately to buy - buying or not buying on our terms.
It is my hope that by getting this book out there into a many hands as possible, we can turn the balance of power into the hands of all of us, so we can be on our guard against these tricks - the more people read this, the more people hear about it, the fewer opportunities there will be for us to be manipulated.
The Book
On Sale date - Saturday 4th March 2023 (planned)
Available In - Paperback and eBook (Kindle, Apple iBooks, NookBook, Kobo)
Available from - All good bookshops (sometimes available-to-order), and major ebook stores.
Price - £14.99 paperback
About This Crowdfunder
Why Are You Running This Crowdfunder?
There are a few reasons for launching this crowdfunder.
- The first one is, obviously, to help fund the proper publication of this book (more about what that covers below).
- The second reason is that it will give a good indication of whether there is sufficient interest in the concept of the book! If we hit the target, then obviously there's plenty of interest in the book; whereas if we don't hit the target, that's a good indication that there's not much interest in the book and it'd not be worth publishing.
- The third reason, one which many crowdfunders have even if they don't publicly state it - it's a great way of helping to generate publicity for and awareness of the book, too - all of which helps when the book finally goes on sale.
OK, So What Will The Money Be Used For?
There are several areas which this campaign will help to fund, including -
Professional cover design - as much as we are cautioned never to judge a book by its cover, the cover is one of the first things a casual browser will see. Which means a strong cover design is essential to attract the browser's attention long enough for them to find out a little bit more! I'll be hiring Simon, the guy who designed the stunning cover for my last book The Masks We Wear (pictured here), as I know he will do an absolutely amazing job again.
If you are wondering why the book needs a professional cover design, just look at the temporary placeholder I used in the video (it's also shown over on the right here) - yeah, that really would not be a good actual cover to use, I think we can all agree!
However, thanks to this CrowdFunder, I will be able to employ Simon to work his magic on this one too.- Editing and Proofreading - no matter how good a writer one is, one ought to always have an independent pair of eyes look over the work. Both in terms of catching the inevitable spelling mistakes and grammatical errors (proofreading), and also from a higher level to make sure everything makes sense and flows well (editing). I'm hiring Craig, who is ace at both of those skills, to wield his red pen to help make sure the book is as good as possible so that the readers gain as much as possible from it.
- Publication - various costs to be covered, some of which include obtaining ISBNs for the book (both ebook and paperback), creating a professional layout of the entire book, getting the book "into the system" so all book sellers can access it, getting it into all the main ebook channels, etc.
About Keith
So who are you? Who IS Keith Blakemore-Noble?
That's me over there on the side.
I'm Keith Blakemore-Noble, the Mindset Master, and I've been helping people around the world for 12 years now.
I'm trained and certified in Hypnosis, NLP, Coaching, and Speaking all at train-the-trainer level. I've helped thousands of people around the world, and I've trained and certified hundreds in these same tools.
I've also seen a LOT of misuse and downright abuse of many of these tools by some people over the years, both within the personal development industry and beyond - these are used across so many different industries and walks of life.
Why Are You The One To Write This?
A lot of the tools and techniques used are derived from NLP and hypnosis, as well as other linguistic techniques. I have studied NLP etc for over 12 years and used it to help thousands to master their mindset, and I have also trained hundreds in these tools from a coaching perspective. All of which means I have developed a deep understanding of how these tools work and I have used this to study how they are mis-used across many different industries.
I've also spoken with several people who have been trained in some of these manipulative approaches for previous jobs they had, so I can get an even deeper inside view of how they are used.
All of which adds up to a wealth of knowledge and experience, coupled with a strong desire to explore the tools, trick, and techniques so that ordinary everyday people can better protect themselves.
(I've actually thought for a few years "Someone should write a book about this stuff", nobody did, so I figured that "somebody" should be me!)
What's The Risk? Have You Ever Written A Book Before?
Writing a book can be beset by various problems at any stage - as with all ventures in life, it's not totally risk-free.
However, I have a track record here - I've written and published five books so far, so this will be my sixth book (hey, I can count, who knew?!).
The first 4 books were collaborative books - I assembled groups of experts and coached them through writing their chapters (6,000 words or more each), I then handled the entire process of editing and publishing the books.
The 5th book was my first truly solo book, written and published by me.
So I've got a pretty good feel by now for how this works, which means I have what it takes to ensure that this book is not only complete and published, but is of high quality both in terms of content and presentation.
And as noted above, I've assembled my hand-picked team to help me along the way.
Your investment is in safe hands.
You can check out more about my books at these links -
Project Timeline
Here's what's left to be done top bring this book into your hands, and the current planned dates for each step (subject to unplanned slippage etc)
Frequently Asked Questions
- For the coaching options, can I upgrade from "Signed Book" to "The Merch"?
Absolutely! Just add £25 to your donation, and let me know when you donate that you want the merch pack, and we'll sort it out. - What happens to the book if this doesn't reach your target?
That would be a pretty clear sign that there's not much interest in the book, so I would probably scrap it. - Can this reach your target?
I believe so - over the past months whenever I talk about the book, there's always a lot of interest, so I think we have something people want here. - When will I get my reward?
I'm put 4th March 2023 as the delivery date for rewards, because that is when the book it published and becomes available to everyone. However, when you go for the rewards with an element of coaching in them, we can absolutely start that sooner. - Why should I support this campaign?
Great question - do you believe in the message of the book? Do you believe it's an important tool to get into the hands of as many people as possible? If so, then your support would be invaluable in help[ing this to happen, and your support also lets me know there is a definite call for the book. - I am not able to invest at this stage, can I help in some other way?
Absolutely! I completely get not everyone is able to support this project financially. If you still believe in it and woudl like to help support it, then sharing the campaign with your family and friends and across your socials woudl be a big help. Share with people why you believe in it, why you feel it is important, and encourage them to check it out and (if they then feel so inclined) to donate.That will be a massive help - the more word gets spread about this, the better! - I have a question not covered here, how can I find out more?
Check the More Information section below, or get in touch with me directly through this page and I'll be happy to answer your questions.
More Information
Some links if you wish to find out more before deciding -
The book's own page - AntiManipulation.com
My site - KeithBlakemoreNoble.com
Or message me directly via the Crowdfunder "Contact Project" tab above with any questions you might have, and I will get back to you with answers as quickly as I can.
You can also find me on the main Socials, and on the internet in general - just search for "Keith Blakemore-Noble" and whatever comes up, good or bad, is me - I'm blessed with having a unique name, but that's a whole different story for another day...
How Can I Help?
There are two big ways in which you can help right here, right now.
- The first is to contribute to the Crowdfunder - there's a range of options aimed at fitting every budget. If you feel that you can support the aims of this campaign, signing up at whatever level feels right for you will be most appreciated.
- The other way is to share news of the book and the crowdfunder far and wide - whether you feel able to contribute or not, sharing word of the campaign, encouraging others to take a look, is just as invaluable and will be just as gratefully appreciated! Share it on the socials, email those you think might be interested. It all helps.
Thank you for taking the time to have a read, and thank you in advance for your support, in whatever way you feel best able to support getting this message out and getting this book published!
Selected Praise for Keith's Previous Book "The Masks We Wear"
"The masks we wear is a masterpiece. Keith is able to go to the essence of every human being and uncover our true nature. A must-read." - Simone Vincenzi
"I was one of the first people to read this and I'm so glad I did. It can help people who are feeling like they're not quite being themselves or who feel like they have more to offer the world.
Have a read, enjoy it, and learn from it." - P Newton
"Keith Blakemore-Noble is well-known for his public speaking, his books, podcasts and five-minute meditation series.
In ‘The Masks we Wear’ Keith explores the developmental rationale behind our compulsion for different masks as we progress through stages of life and career.
‘The Masks We Wear’ is not only a fascinating read but a very helpful one for gaining real insights into our behaviours, self-understanding and motivation. I highly recommend this book by Keith Blakemore-Noble." - John Vanek
“Keith Blakemore-Noble’s understanding of the intricacies and interplay of people’s fears and emotions are very apparent throughout this excellent text.
Combined with the experience and practical knowledge Keith has gathered over many years – and through his personal professional practice, he is ideally placed and personally qualified to explore and write about this interesting topic.
A must read for those interested to discover more about the metaphorical masks that each of us wear (at least at one time or another), their importance, and what to do about them." - Alison Stead, Counsellor (Adv.Dip.Couns)
“I’ve seen Keith talk at many different networking events and learnt something different each time. This book not only reinforces those lessons but teaches me more. Thank you Keith.” - Gary Jones, Grow Marketing and Media
“Do you want to be authentic? Then The Masks We Wear is an eye-opening, potent read for you. Throughout the book you discover masks you wear unconsciously. Once they are removed you can relax into who you are and express your uniqueness; people can really get to know you, and deep and honest relationships can be built. Unmask and enjoy life!”- Antonia Olga Daniek – Founder of “Be the Change-Maker”
“You just don’t know, what you don’t know. And sometimes someone comes along and all of a sudden, it makes sense. An epiphany, a lightbulb moment. They don’t do the work for you but they guide you on the path. My deepest thanks to that someone who is the author of this very book that you hold in your hand. I truly hope you get as much from reading and working through this book as I did. Thank you Keith for lighting the way.” - Miss H Whyment-Lester, Business Manager, London
This project successfully funded on 3rd December 2022