What profession seems fluid; is ever-changing and completely unpredictable? My answer is: a writing career.
I’ve been in this business since around 11: a.m. one sunny October day in 1973. Or maybe it was a cool December day. I don’t actually recall. But I do remember that it was in 1973 when I borrowed a portable manual typewriter, set it on a small table in a corner of my bedroom and began the writing career I’d been dreaming about since my children were small. Now they were teenagers. It was my turn to shine and I would shine through the written word. Well, at least I would try to generate a few bucks while doing something I absolutely adored—writing.
Fast forward to this too warm August day in 2006. I’m sitting in my office (my writing room), in front of a computer still writing and still enjoying the heck out of it. Not only that, I’ve built a career out of my love for writing—a career that has changed shape and form over the last 33 years. Yes, a lot has changed technologically and my business model has also changed. In fact, looking back, I can see that my way of approaching my business has changed often over time. I changed to accommodate clients. I changed when it was obvious that the old model—the old way of doing things—was obsolete. I adjusted to change when the universe seemed to be taking my business in a different direction. I did this sometimes willingly, but many times I resisted with all of my might. Change came slower when I resisted, but change occurred nonetheless.
I changed with time, too. I wrote from the heart of a 30-something-year-old when I entered into the writing field. Today, my heart is 60-something and so are my thoughts and my ideas. I believe that I write with more wisdom and evidence of experience.
I’ve always tried to maintain a good balance between writing and other creative activities, between the sedentary and the physical, between work and play and in the type of writing that I do. I’ve attempted to work mainly on positive topics and those that will help some segment of society. I write uplifting, encouraging, optimistic articles and books mostly with a self-help or how-to focus. And this is true whether I’m writing within the realm of business, parenting, family, writing, publishing, spirituality, personal development, relationships or pet care and whether I’m writing about youth mentoring, grandparenting, presenting a luau, producing a book, using intuition, strengthening your faith, raising emotionally healthy children or how to rescue a feral cat. I guess you could say that my hallmark work is based in hope and support. Over the years, I’ve become a teacher.
In 1973, I was writing about horses. I soon turned to local history as a subject and became the first (and only) person ever to write a comprehensive history of the Ojai Valley. I was also a pioneer in self-publishing, having established my publishing company, Matilija Press, in 1983. Throughout the 80s, I concentrated on establishing myself as an article writer and I managed to affiliate myself closely with several magazines (most of which folded in the early 1990s). During this period, I branched out and began writing about every subject imaginable. I was honing my research skills and this was way before I (or anyone else I knew) was hooked up to the Internet.
The late 90s introduced me to computers and the Internet and I figured out how to actually earn a living as a writer. I started adding more books to my collection of titles and I was doing it two at a time. I began going out and speaking to other writers and authors on a regular basis. I was also promoting the Ojai book through speaking gigs.
The year 2000 marks another milestone for my career and another dimension. I added more books to my collection and I expanded my visibility. What happened next wasn’t planned. I finally started saying, “Yes,†when asked to work with other writers and authors on their projects. I’d been avoiding this opportunity for years. Oh, I helped people, but I gave them my time and benefit of my experience. I presented a few workshops for a fee and that worked out well. But I was reluctant to charge people to edit their work or help them develop a book proposal.
That, too, has changed. I have worked quite successfully with dozens of clients throughout this decade and I’ve enjoyed the process. I am also expanding my scope and focus when it comes to presenting workshops and speaking nationwide. And, as most of you know, I was offered the opportunity to give a keynote speech before 800 Toastmasters in Dubai in May of 2006. I’m thankful that I had the confidence to accept that most unusual invitation.
I’ve recently become familiar with giving PowerPoint presentations. This is another opportunity that sort of snuck up on me—something I needed to learn, but was reluctant until it became crystal clear that the time was right.
What’s next? What changes do I contemplate? Do I see anything new on the horizon? Actually, there is something new—next month, my publishing company, Matilija Press, will come out with our first book by another author. I’ve agreed to publish a memoir/a true love story by Rick McGrath. The book is called Johanna’s Journey, A True Story of Love, Loss and Faith. I’ll announce its arrival around the middle of September.
In the meantime, if this is the year that you are going to finally write that book that has been rolling around inside you for years, or you have recently come up with a great idea for a book, you must read my book first. The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book will tell you everything you really do need to know about the changing publishing industry and how to conform to the new parameters; how to locate, choose, approach and work with a traditional royalty publisher; how to write a complete and successful book proposal; how to self-publish, how to establish your platform; book promotion and so much more. Order this book today at http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html If you need help with your book proposal or you want someone to look over your manuscript before you send it to a publisher, contact me at http://www.matilijapress.com