Do you ever meet someone at a writers\u2019 conference, book festival or writers\u2019 club meeting, for example, who truly seems to be knowledgeable in areas of writing, publishing, book promotion and so forth? You chat with this person for a while, sign up for a free newsletter or e-booklet, pick up their brochure or card and walk away. You agree to contact this person if you have any questions. But you never follow through.<\/p>\n
You set aside the brochure, neglect to even visit their website and, when the free newsletter or e-booklet arrives, you don\u2019t take time to look it over. In the meantime, you fret and stress over what to do next with regard to your writing or publishing project. <\/p>\n
You attended the meeting or event in hopes of learning something new or getting some direction. But you disregarded most of the information and guidance you received from some of the professionals you listened to or spoke with. You are stuck and unwilling to take the next step or to even to explore where the next step would actually take you.<\/p>\n
I know that many of you reading this blog can relate. I meet many authors at local book festivals and other events and talk to them about their projects. Some of them are looking for an agent or a publisher. Others are trying to figure out how to promote their books. I take time to listen and to offer some insights, resources and even specific guidance. I also offer to respond to their emails should they have further questions. <\/p>\n
Fast-forward three, six or twelve months. I\u2019m at another book festival or speaking at a writers\u2019 group meeting and I meet some of the same authors. Many of them are exactly where they were the last time we spoke\u2014still stumbling around in their confusion, having made little or no progress. They are still trying to figure out how to find an agent or a publisher. They tossed aside the suggestions they were so eager to receive. They didn\u2019t check out the resources. They haven\u2019t moved one step closer to their goal\u2014to be successfully published or to sell more copies of their books. Why? <\/p>\n
I guess we just get too set in our ways. We don\u2019t have it in us to stretch and grow\u2014something that is so necessary anytime we want to reach another level of accomplishment in our lives. Sitting on dead center within your comfort zone does not cut it.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s an example of what many of you are doing. I met a man at a Toastmasters event once who knew I wrote regularly (at that time) for The Toastmaster Magazine<\/em>. Well, this Toastmaster came up to me and said, \u201cI\u2019ve been trying to get my article published in The Toastmaster Magazine. They keep rejecting it. Can you help me get it accepted?\u201d I suggested that he send me the article to look at.<\/p>\n After seeing it, I said to him that the editors of this magazine want how-tos, not essays. I recommended that, if he wanted to be published in The Toastmaster, that he rewrite it to conform to the guidelines of the magazine. I even gave him a few specific ideas on how to do this.<\/p>\n A year or so later, I saw the man at another Toastmaster event and he came up to me to tell me that he still could not get his article published in The Toastmaster Magazine<\/em>. I asked him if he had rewritten the piece to conform to their requirements. He said, \u201cWell, no. But it\u2019s a good article, why won\u2019t they publish it?\u201d<\/p>\n Do you see even a little bit of yourself in this scenario? Have you reached out to professionals and received suggestions that you just don\u2019t want to follow? Do you have publishing goals, but you aren\u2019t willing to do what it takes to achieve them? This is the story behind thousands and thousands of authors who do not succeed. They hope to fulfill their dreams without making any changes to their lifestyle and without stepping outside their comfort zone. <\/p>\n Don\u2019t let this be you. If you are serious about engaging in a successful publishing venture, you\u2019re going to have to do your part to make it happen. And this means, educate yourself about the publishing industry. Make informed decisions. Take reasonable risks. Stretch and grow.<\/p>\n I would love to hear from those of you who have made dramatic changes in order to accommodate your desire for publishing success. Have you overcome your fear of public speaking, learned how to appropriately approach agents\/publishers, worked through your distaste for promotion, etc? What has made the difference for you?<\/p>\n If you need additional information and resources, be sure to consider reading some of my wide array of books on publishing and book promotion. They\u2019re all at Amazon.com. You can also purchase them at http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com> <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Do you ever meet someone at a writers\u2019 conference, book festival or writers\u2019 club meeting, for example, who truly seems to be knowledgeable in areas of writing, publishing, book promotion and so forth? You chat with this person for a while, sign up for a free newsletter or e-booklet, pick up their brochure or card […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t