The
easiest part of being a writer (at least for me) is the act or art of
writing. The hardest part is the
marketing and promotional efforts. When
I have a writing day planned, I wake up excited; whereas, when I know the day
holds nothing more than plowing through marketing strategies and delivering
promos, I awaken less enthused. This
needs to change and is my first work-related New Year’s resolution.
Dive into marketing and promotion with a fresh
feel, a new outlook and a positive attitude.
I
won’t bore you with my other business resolutions… suffice to say, if I can
tackle the first one I will be content.
So,
how does an author effectively market their work? Ah, the age old question. There are many of us out there who often feel
as if we are spinning our wheels, but this isn’t happening only in the literary
world. It happens with everyone in every
field. We don’t see the results we want
and we get tired. We slow down. We lose our mojo. It’s natural… but, it is changeable. Success can be sustainable.
In
this blog I’m only going to cover the first three steps:
First,
start with a cup of coffee….okay, that’s a lie…you’re going to need a pot of
coffee. More importantly…start the day
with prayer. Thank God for all that you
have, for every blessing in your life, and hand Him your hopes, dreams,
aspirations and the desires of your heart.
Trust me, they are much safer in His hands than yours.
Second,
write down every goal you want to accomplish.
Big or small, write down them all! Now, tack those goals in a place where you
will see them multiple times a day.
Print them small and tape them to the corner of your computer screen. Place a copy in the bathroom, on the cover of
your cell phone, etc. Make your goals
visible.
Third,
make a to-do list. Add to it every day
and check off items every day. This will
keep you organized and help you not to feel overwhelmed. There is a certain satisfaction that comes
with checking off an item on your to-do list.
Feel the satisfaction. Relish in
it. Reward yourself for it and then
harness that sense of accomplishment and use it to tackle the next item.
I’ll
say it again: Success is
sustainable. The key is to take it step
by step. It doesn’t happen
overnight. It doesn’t come in a
whirlwind. It arrives after years of
hard work. Dream big, work small… and
your dreams will come true. ~
