I’m experiencing the learning curve again with my new Catscapades Blog, which is very different than the mechanics of this blog site. I hope to get the thing figured out within the next few days.
Does facing the learning curve make you cringe or want to retreat into your comfort zone? It does me.
But for me, rejection used to feel like a kick in the stomach. There was even a time when the idea of speaking in public felt overwhelmingly uncomfortable.
But, when I made the decision to become a freelance writer, I had to learn to accept rejection. When I decided to become an author, I vowed to meet the challenges necessary to accommodate the success I desired. Thus, I joined a Toastmasters Club and became more at ease with speaking in public. Most of you know the rest of my story. It includes the fact that I was invited to travel to Dubai, all expenses paid, as the keynote speaker for their Toastmaster convention in 2006. For one hour, I stood alone on a stage before 800 people for whom English is their second language and spoke about creativity in speaking. Read about my experiences in Dubai and view photos of the place in my book, Dubai. http://www.matilijapress.com
Are you a new or struggling author who is experiencing the discomfort and uncertainties of the learning curve? Maybe you are writing your first book proposal or trying to devise a query letter and it seems so foreign and awkward to you. Many authors with published books go gung ho into book promotion right out of the gate and then, when book sales slow down, their ideas and energy wanes and they simply stop their forward motion.
While every facet of writing, producing and marketing a book creates challenges for most authors, probably the most difficult period starts around 6 months to a year after they have published. Does this ring true for you? You eagerly awaited publication of your book. You thrilled at holding it in your hands. You send out press releases to key players, deliver and ship copies to several reviewers, show your book around the office and speak about it to your women’s club. You visit independent bookstores around your neighborhood, do a book signing and then quit. Maybe you sold a box or two of books, but sales are dwindling and you are out of ideas and steam.
Guess what? It may be time to approach the learning curve again. And I suggest that you do so through the book that I wrote expressly for struggling authors, The Author’s Repair Kit. This book is designed to breathe new life into your book. It’s in ebook form, only—check it out at http://www.matilijapress.com/author-repairkit.html
Is there hope for a book that seems to have run its course? Absolutely. And is there hope for an author who hates facing the learning curve? Certainly. Hey, if I, a web-challenged person, can purposely jump into the middle of a foreign blog site and attempt to unravel its mysteries, you can turn your failing book around. And you have help—The Author’s Repair Kit.
Good luck!