Authoring … what a journey. Highs and lows. Hopes and fears. Tears and joy. And a journey that requires perseverance. It’s the magic word that creates the buzz … the book sales … the author success. If that’s “the lottery”, then every one of us–meaning YOU– has the ability to grab the winning ticket. Your lucky charms have lined up!
Webster’s defines perseverance as a continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.
Reality check: it’s not easy being an author. There’s rejection—sometimes in a cascading tsunami. There are flops; authors feel that nobody likes them, everybody hates them AND everything attempted is a massive flop. The unexpected shutdown that rolled out the winter of 2020 and roared into spring delivered screeching brakes book marketing plans that no one saw coming.
Oh yes … I’ve heard … you’ve heard … we have ALL heard about the author who starts up chatter in the book world. Out of the blue, one hits the bookselling lottery. A gazillion copies are sold. The media is all over the place. The buzz is, well, the buzz.
There are times when an author think there’s no freakin’ way she or he can sell a book. Yup, sometimes an author feels like that being a solo on the publishing dance card is a label that will be worn in perpetuity.
Hang on. We all feel that way at times. The publishing dance card is actually quite crowded. No author is alone here. Some get spotlighted; some don’t.
But then, a nudge comes into play. You love your topic. The cover brings a smile to your face. You remember the unbelievable sense of pride when “the box” arrived on your doorstep. You “know” what’s in it … THE BOOK … YOUR BOOK! And then you open the box, delicately lifting your treasure and holding it in your hand for the first time–a REAL BOOK–unbelievable.
Then, a kind word, email, or note comes your way that you’ve made a difference, solved a problem or just provided a new fan with a terrific story. All that sweat, fear, doubts disappear. You are an author … an expert. Someone that authors what to listen to. To Read. To hear more from.
Isn’t that what we authors face—sometimes on a daily basis? Are you thrilled with your book sales? Would you like to increase them? Book sales don’t come from luck … they come from marketing work. And perseverance.
Your book is like an iceberg—5 to 10 percent is the writing; the other 90-95 percent is below the surface … everything that you do to kick-start sales, your marketing, and your on-going plan. The continuation of your Book and Author Platforms. Author Success. Everything.
For sure, authoring and publishing aren’t for sissies. Successful authors have more rejections than Hogan’s got goats. Successful authors have it the wall of dismal sales more times than they care to count. Successful authors have received more negative reviews than their walls have room to post them on. Successful authors have had days, sometimes weeks, months, even years when they have wondered, “What was I thinking … ?”
Yes, authoring is hard work … what separates the successful author from the non-successful one? One word: perseverance.
The Magic, No … the Wonder of Perseverance … that’s the ticket to Author Success.
My questions for you now are:
- Are you ready to step up to the plate once again?
- Are you ready to grab another ticket?
- Are you ready to start the wheel toward book marketing?
- Are you ready to reaching out to those you wrote for, and are writing for … as invisible and distant that they may seem at times?
Yes, times have changed. But readers have not disappeared. They are waiting to hear from you. Are YOU ready? A few months ago, I wrote a blog and asked: are you findable? Start there and make sure you are before you start your next “push out.”
Dr. Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and author of 37 multi-award books. She’s guided over 1,000 authors in creating their books, earned in excess of $3,000,000 in speaking fees based on her books and gathered over $2,000,000 in onsite book sales at her speaking gigs. Her book, How to Create a $1,000,000 Speech flips a difficult topic into a simple and easily comprehensible plan. If you want to get into speaking, this is the guide that will be the game-changer to success. And, if you want to know more about Judith’s life, her book of “hope” is When God Says NO-Revealing the YES When Adversity and Loss Are Present. You can get it HERE.
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