I have not been asked for an autograph-
People still don’t recognize me on the streets yet. Since I have one dazzling photo on all my social media channels, in my book, and on my website, I am confused about this. After all my promotions, witty social media posts, and begging, shouldn’t people know who I am yet? Shouldn’t the phone ring off the hook with requests to come to New York City do interviews? Where is my invitation to the secret society of famous writers? Did it get lost in the mail?
I went to parent-teacher conferences this week with my son, who kindly told his English teacher that I was an author. The smile on my face could have warmed the sun. Surely, she would ask me to come in and talk to her class. Maybe she would want to meet for a coffee, and I could tell her about my journey. Maybe she would ask what my book was about and buy a copy.
Nope.
She smiled and said ‘That’s nice.’
Ego hit! I need to work with my son on his sales pitch.
Writers can be vicious-
Writers are extremely opinionated. I am not saying this meanly. I am opinionated. Just ask my husband. I have a opinion on his breathing, eating, sleeping, and general coming and goings. Thank goodness he appreciates my thoughts and ALWAYS considers them before doing the complete opposite.
Writers though- we are a mixed bag of M&M’s, Skittles, and Reese’s pieces. I am not sure we all agree on one thing, except we all want to quit our jobs to write full-time.
I watched from the laptop peanut gallery a huge disagreement about whether a writer should be able to write what they want or not. Barring threatening someone, it really shouldn’t matter. If you don’t like someone’s moral compass- then don’t interact with them.
Man was I wrong.
This situation blew over as well as a small child peeing in a public pool. Everyone came out to the playground to let the writer know what could and could not talk about. Subjects included religion and politics, sexual preferences to pronouns. From race to physical disability. From first responders to nurses and teachers.
The sad part was that the original post was about candy bars. This particular person liked 3-Musketeers and hated Snickers. And he said it just like that. Well, others had opinions and that snowballed to name calling, threats, and the post being taken down.
All while I was eating popcorn and taking notes on what NEVER to say. I personally like KitKat’s, but I am keeping that to myself.
Hustling is an art form-
Self-published authors are hustlers. I have always wanted to be a hustler.
Out there doing my thing and making it big in the world and affording all the finer things in life.
Like gas and groceries.
But some of my fellow authors blow it out of the water. They put in the work, tears, sweat, and hours CEOs can’t even imagine. Movies, reels, social media posts, advertising, writing, editing, meeting new people, etc… self-published authors are constantly moving and grooving. And most of them still work a full-time job AND have a family.
Mind-blowing!
In order to keep up, I am constantly challenged to try something original and innovative. But with that, I have hit many speed bumps and pit holes. Finding your voice as a writer and as a public figure is two different venues. The balancing act of being yourself and relatable vs. being socially aware of what you can and cannot say is challenging. I have made many mistakes trying to be funny, thoughtful, and original. Some of my attempts have bitten me in the arse.
Big time.
I have learned what is funny in my head doesn’t always come out the same way.
In light of that, I recently had a board meeting with my multiple personalities, and we discussed what kind of person I wanted to be. Who was Rose? Was she a snarky, mean girl who said whatever she wanted whenever she wanted to say it? Was she a shadow in the dark? Lurking around, but never seen or heard? Was she a ray of sunshine that only posted annoying positive memes with cute sayings?
None of them really fit me. My personality is like a rough draft of my upcoming novel. It’s good. It has potential. I need to fine-tune it now. I am not changing the whole storyline, just tightening up some loose ends.
You have to write more to sell more-
I know that a majority of authors have that one great story in their heads. They put pen to paper and spend 2-10 years working on their masterpieces. The struggle to edit, proofread, design covers, and format is enough to send anyone to insanity.
And then it’s out there for the world to read and judge.
And they are happy. They have reached their pinnacle in the writer’s world.
But that is not the case for most of us. Writing is our passion. We have a thousand stories to tell and don’t want to be ‘one-and-done.’ I used to say that I was okay if only one person read my book.
That is a lie.
I am a writer. I want the masses to read my books. I want my name to come up in conversation and someone mentions that one of my books made them stay up all night reading. I have many books on my bookshelves that have stolen a good night’s rest from me. I want to do the same.
Denying it would be like Scarlett Johansson saying she would have been fine if no one showed up to see her movie on opening day.
Doesn’t make sense to me.
Then why as writers are we supposed to be so humble that we deny our goals? And it is not just authors, but any profession. I have learned that I am willing to say the forbidden words. I want the damn gold medal and I am determined to work my ass off to get it.
Come on say it with me!
We want to quit our jobs to write full time!
Say it again louder!
We want to quit our jobs!
Okay. Settle down. We got things to do. Get back to work!
Anyhoo, in case you missed it, I am an inspiring author. I will include the link to my first book if you want a copy or need a last-minute gift for a random friend or co-worker.
The Writer and the Librarian- Raven Society Book 1 (Amazon)
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Great read…..keep it up