Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Fighting Off Discouragement

Though I want to do my best not to only write about being an author, writing and self-publishing in my blog....it feels like I have no choice, as I am a bit discouraged.

Saturday was a special day for me. I shared my book with a few more friends, and I got great responses. However, only one person has followed through on their commitment to purchasing the book so far. With a big sigh, I resolved to face a fact -- writing is hard and self-promotion is grueling.

The truth is, asking someone to sit down and read a book is kind of a big request. It's time consuming, requires focus and busy lives often overrule "reading time." Case in point -- I have four books on my Kindle that I still haven't finished and some of them are nine months old. For an author, I am a pretty lousy reader!

Don't get me wrong folks, I LOVE my fans and I more than appreciate those that have taken the time to read and review my book. It has meant the world to me and their actions are not unappreciated. It has just become blatantly clear that publishing a book (self or otherwise) is a waiting game and not ideal for the impatient.

With this in mind, I have decided to seek out literary agent representation. Though the odds are quite slim that I will get a bite (more fun of being an author). But it seems like the next step, as I don't have the time or the "know how" to promote my book in the most efficient manner.

I don't plan to ever stop writing. But the truth is, it is sometimes hard to maintain perspective. I want to write because I love it. I have never felt something "fit" so well, with the exception of personal relationships. When I write, I like who I am and how I feel. That is what I hold onto when someone doesn't read my book or "Retweet, Like, or Share" my book status updates.

Will I make it big? Doubtful. Will I get a following? Maybe. Am I writing for these reasons? No! But when you put a piece of your soul in your writing, then put it out there to be seen, your ego can take a hit -- therefore it might be better to delegate that task to someone else for the sake of self preservation.

Today, as I pressed SEND in my submissions emails, I said a little prayer, crossed my fingers and remembered some wise words -- expect the worst, but hope for the best. Maybe I'll just get lucky.

Have a good rest of the week friends!

EJ



2 comments:

  1. Good for you, EJ. Don't lose faith and hope. You have the best thing going for you -- a passion to write.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with MsGin. It took me a while to get to your book due to a busy life, but just finished it and loved it. I hope I am the one that purchased the book, as I meant to do that the other day… not sure I succeeded, being the novice Kindle purchaser that I am… I'll keep spreading the word! xo

    ReplyDelete