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| IWSG |
(rolls chair into position)
tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.
(taps on a ginormous microphone straight out the 40's)
LIVE FROM NEWINGTON, CONNECTICUT, IT'S THE INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP! YES INDEEDIE DOODIE! FIRST WEDNESDAY IS NOW HERE, WHERE THE BESTEST AND BRIGHTEST WRITERS IN THE LAND CONGREGATE TO COMMISERATE THEIR INSECURITIES AND THEIR TRIUMPHS! LET'S GIVE BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THOSE WHO ARE BRAVE ENOUGH AND SMART ENOUGH AND GOSH DARN IT HAVE PEOPLE WHO LIKE THEM TO STAND UP AND TELL THE WORLD HOW THEY TRULY FEEL!
Woah.
Can you picture yourself standing up in front of a large group of people doing an announcement like that? No? Well, it is something, if you're a writer, that you do every day that you have something out, or if you're writing something for future publication. You are exposing your naked self to the world for all to see and all to judge.
And let me tell you, sometimes it just ain't pretty. You'll be mocked, laughed at, raspberryed at, given harsh critique of your writing and of yourself...and that's just from your fellow writers in your tight circle of friends. The general public can be just as, if not worse, cruel to you as the people whose opinion you respect. Worst of all, they can do the one thing that we absolutely dread as a writer: they can ignore you.
Nobody wants to be ignored, so the only way to cure that ignorance is to get people to pay attention to you. But it has to be done in such a way so that you don't turn off the people you need the attention of the most. Get them involved with your writing project. Ask open ended questions when you come across a difficult spot and really need the advice of someone whose been there and done that (I did that a lot with my first novel). Hold a contest with the winner being inserted as a throwaway character in your latest.
The point is, you should try everything, within reason, in your repertoire of publicity/marketing items. Above all, don't let the naysayers plant that seed of doubt within you. Only you and you alone, can determine whether or not you can get the job done, and done to your satisfaction. Sure you can ask for help (in fact it's almost a requirement), but ultimately it's on you to take it to that next level.
Be true to yourself, because in the long run, you are the only person that you need to answer to.
(c) 2015 by G.B. Miller. All Rights Reserved.
Great advice! There's always people in this world ready to tear you down, the bastards.
ReplyDeleteThat is for sure.
DeleteI'm generally not too troubled by public speaking, being a teacher and all.
ReplyDeleteI've actually gotten used to public speaking, as I have to do new employee orientation about once every couple of months. I'm still leery of speaking to groups of people, but I am getting better at it.
DeleteGreat Post. I do much better face to face, even don't mind standing in front of a crowd. Call me crazy but I can interact and reveal myself, at least part of who I am, in the great 3D. On line, I'm constantly second guessing myself if anyone is listening, or if what I'm posting is interesting. I like the visual feedback with in-person chats. Posting, however, is a major part of the marketing game so I'd better get on with the pain, LOL. Thanks for your advise.
ReplyDeleteOnce I warm up, my natural humor/wit starts to seep into my speaking. And definitely the visual feedback is a great bonus.
DeleteWise advice! And those are some good suggestions.
ReplyDeleteThank you kind sir. I had something else completely different planned, but after I had finished my little intro, I just veered into a different direction. Glad it worked out though.
DeleteGood stuff. I'm currently in the middle of a big promotional experiment, despite many writers telling me that I'm making a HUGE mistake. But I need to try something different.
ReplyDeleteNever know if something works or doesn't work unless you try. Just because it may not have worked for them doesn't mean it won't work for you.
DeleteI think about the day I'm a published author and have to promote, do school visits. Makes me shudder. Funny because I'm not shy when I teach, but I'm shy under other circumstances.
ReplyDeleteI definitely understand that. When we're discussing other people's stuff, like when you teach a class or I do new employee orientation, it's relatively easy to stand up in front of people to speak. Whole different issue when you have to promote yourself.
DeleteOne of the things I like about writing is that it's a chance to put my 'better self' out there, a version of my thoughts, beliefs, world view and comic timing that I've had a chance to re-write so many times that it's actually starting to be half decent.
ReplyDeleteThis is an absolute truth. Which is why, I think, a small chunk of people migrate towards blogging as a way to get themselves out there to the general public with their writings and their thoughts.
DeleteGreat advice for writers or anyone for that matter. There are always those who want to see us fall in the mud, but fortunately I think there are enough who are rooting for us to make our persistence worth while. It's up to us ultimately whether we fail because we didn't do enough or if we failed because of our honest effort that didn't work. If it's the latter then we need to just brush ourselves off and try again. If it's the first one then we'd better start doing something or just accept the failure and try to move on to something we can do.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Wrote By Rote
Thanks.
DeleteAnd you sum my points quite nicely too.
I like the idea of having a contest and the winner being a character:) Great idea.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteI was having a lot of fun writing that novel (first draft took me roughly 2 1/2 months to write) and since I was getting everyone involved with the writing of that novel, what better way to finish it then by having contest with the winner being a throwaway character.
Be yourself - perfect words.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of it that way when I was a reporter, until someone I interviewed said as much. He said he would never have the guts to put himself out there on the front page of a newspaper every day and expose his writing to the world. From my POV, he was a police detective who put his life on the line many times, and that was much scarier!
ReplyDeleteIt's a very tough thing to do. I know a few people who have blogs but they're private because they don't want to expose themselves like that. I did it early on with chat rooms, where I really opened myself up to some serious ridicule/harassment, and while some of it did hurt, it help me to develop a thicker skin about it (especially in the acknowledgement section of my first book).
Delete