It’s one of those days when you realize you must play a long game to reach your goal.
The long game sucks.
Things are not flowing as well as they were. I had a plan. I had a calendar. I had a dream, a passion, and enough monsters to stay awake for six months. But this past week, things have begun to crash, slow down, and I lost some passion. That is the problem with the long game- it takes a very long time. I guess I shouldn’t be complaining. Everyone that is anyone, has played the long game, from successful businesses to athletes to artists- they all had the valley of a minimal return in their journey.
I guess I was hoping to be the expectation.
I am not.
Rude.
So here I sit, trying to devise a better game plan. I have made a lot of mistakes on my journey. There have been a lot of failures. Too many to count at this point. It might be easier to count the wins at this point. But the losses stand out in the spotlight of life.
For example, my dogs. Pimping Puppy Polar Bear and Kool Kat Kona are trying to send me to an early grave. We came from Alaska- the land of frozen tundras, harsh winters, scarce daylight, and mosquitoes the size of small dinosaurs. I never had an issue with the dogs wanting to play outside. I had more of a problem getting them to come in during the winter months than anything.
But now we live in Washington. Land of mild winters, light rain, coffee shops, and traffic. I thought for sure that they would want to head outside to play. Frocklick in the knowledge that they can venture out year round and not become a doggy ice pop. NOPE. They don’t like getting their paws wet. And it seems that Pimping Puppy Polar Bear is now a primadonna and will only venture to the bathroom if there is a 20-minute walk involved. Needless to say, the bathroom issue has become a significant problem in my home.
Kool Kat Kona, who everyone says is overweight, has developed new superpowers. She can now jump onto kitchen counters and open pet-resistant trashcans. She is probably overweight from the bags of chips and homemade cookies she has been fishing out of cupboards and food pantries.
I took matters into my own hands and am now waiting for my second ‘premium’ dog gate to arrive since they broke the last one. This redesigned and improved gate is 48 inches tall and 36 inches wide and can withstand the force of a hurricane. We will see about that.
The only downfall is that they will now be trapped downstairs- where most of my books reside. Will my books survive? I don’t know. When given the choice between books and dogs, I’m not sure which one I could live without. I am leaning towards saving my books. Book lives matter too! Just kidding- my child would kill me if I got rid of the dogs. They are here for life.
Next issue. I have started two new businesses while working full-time and trying to write book 2. Time is not on my side right now. Work has made me actually do work. Promoting my book has been more challenging than I thought possible because everyone is broke. And I haven’t built a clientele for my editing and publishing services. At least not yet.
I am trying to say that money is a wee bit tight, and I haven’t gotten my nails or eyebrows done in a month. I used to get them done every two weeks. It was the only present I gave myself, and it made me happy. But the economy is crap right now, and paying $6.00 for a gallon of gas seems to be the new norm. So my nails are growing out with the old gel on top, and I have been filing them down myself, hoping no one notices. My eyebrows look like large caterpillars have settled on my face, and I can’t see my once beautiful eyes.
I haven’t even bought a book since December. Unless it is on Kindle Unlimited and free, I will support my fellow authors next year when I get my allowance back.
I also thought about starting to drink my coffee black. I have been slowly weaning myself off the legal white powder for the last week, and I am almost there. My joy of living is gone- but sacrifices must be made in the name of art.
So there it is- a recap of my week playing the long game. It was filled with a lot of not-so-great moments. It was filled with a lot of self-doubt. But I am sure that this time next year, I will have a different outlook on life.
I just need to make it 364 more days….
Anyhoo, if you are still reading this… I have a book for sale. I think it’s pretty good- I sold seven copies in the last two weeks. I will include the link if you want a copy or need a last-minute gift for a co-worker’s birthday. It even is handy to swat at your significant other when they decide to argue with you about accidentally forgetting about your anniversary because you were making memes.
The Writer and the Librarian-
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Rose, It is all part of the rotten road we must follow when we decide to write. For example, when my last book, “Last Supper in Paradise” was published (2004) Michelle and I decided to host a publishing party at the local pub in Finley, North Dakota and we sent invitations to a whole bunch of people we “thought” had become our friends, and we asked for an RSVP because we were going to be serving lunch and after lunch there would be wine (South African) and I would read one of the stories in the book.
Normally, you have a publishing party you also hope to sell a few copies of your new book and you would autograph those copies. After the reading there was a lot of pats on the back, “great story,” or “really enjoyed the story.” I even had a couple of people pick up copies of the book. Then someone asked, “are these for us.”
“Yup, I’m discounting them $2.00 from the cover cost.” I answered.
“Oh, I thought they were free.”
At the end of the day not a single copy was sold. The book was reviewed by “Book Magazine” (online) and declared “A must read for the summer.”
I have since had to buy up all the remainder copies because the publisher went out of business. Since buying the remainders I’ve managed to sell a hundred or so copies by email from the ad in “African Expedition” magazine. It was reviewed in several African outdoor magazines, and in Australia and I’ve sold more copies overseas than in this country.
I’ve got a couple hundred copies that I am holding onto with the hope that when AFX is back in business (should be this summer) the new ad and a new audience will generate sales.
Don’t despair with the slow start. I wrote my first magazine article 50 years ago and I still have articles returned.
OTOH I am still writing, still selling and happy as a doggie rolling in cow shit.
Have faith, you are a good writer.
(BTW, I’ve had seven other books published, but that’s another story.
Galen