A Key Success Principle: Ask

Last week I added a badge to the sidebar of The Writing Life. I selected a smaller size so maybe you didn't notice. The link in it connects to Alltop.com. Here's a larger badge:

Here's the link if you want to see some of the other possibilities for badges.

I learned about this site from John Jantsch's Duct Tape Marketing blog. Alltop.com is a great way to follow some of the top blogs in your industry in a matter of minutes because this site pulls in the information from the best places (admittedly a subjective perspective from the people who put it together).

Now you may wonder, How did Terry get his blog about writing listed in the book section of Alltop? Here's the key success principle that I wanted to write about in this post: I asked. I looked around the site and figured out where to send a short email. In my email, I carefully touted some of the best features, results, consistency and content of my entries on The Writing Life, then I made my pitch to be included. Within a 24 hour period, I got a response back that I had been added.

It doesn't always go this direction. I get rejected and refused when I ask. There is no assurance the person receiving your request will react positively. It's your responsibility as the writer to make your request and take your best shot at asking.

You never know what can happen if you knock on the right door. It's like the old saying with your book ideas--and maybe you've heard this one--from me or someone else: It can't sell in your computer or in your file cabinet. You have to be out there in the marketplace.

If you are in the marketplace, you will be rejected. It's nothing personal and just business but it happens over and over. This rejection should not keep you from asking and moving ahead to explore if your idea is valid and will fly or not.

My encouragement to you is to dream bit, work hard as you craft your query or book proposal or email or whatever format you use to ask. How you ask will be critical to the process and then after you have worked at the format and words on the page, get it out there.