The Writing Life: What Changes Will You Make?

Let's be honest for a minute: the older I get, the harder it is to make changes—anywhere. It's much easier to continue doing my same habits over and over—even if they are not working. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. We simply don't get different results unless we change.

Last February, I took an intensive three-day workshop where I learned how to build and launch this series of pages for 10 Publishing Myths. Our instructors told us these pages have the goal of selling 500 to 1,000 copies of of my book every week. No one could have predicted a worldwide pandemic would change our world drastically starting the next month. That goal simply hasn't been realized yet—but I believe it is still possible. I'm taking responsibility and moving forward with several plans for the coming months. Yes I'm making some changes and learning some new insights which I believe will increase these sales. Only making the effort and changes will show me whether it happens or not. I have watched other writers succeed with such tools and believe it is possible for me as well.

I tell you this story to help you see that you too will have to make changes in your life to find the right opportunity for your writing. As I have done, it may involve trying numerous things—and failing—yet continuing to try other things before you hit on the right combination. The path to success is different for each of us but there are traces of success from others that will help guide us in this process.

One of my changes started several months ago—my eating habits. I'm not making these changes alone (one of the keys from my experience) but doing it with my wife. We've changed our eating habits and both lost weight in this process and my overall health has improved. It has not been easy and involves many daily decisions but is something that I will be continuing to work on in the days ahead.

Last year I started (and paid for) several training courses which I have not completed. I still believe in the importance of these trainings and will be continuing to devote time and effort to completing them—and then putting the lessons into practice with my writing. Maybe you have take similar steps with your writing life. Are there courses you've started but never completed? Take a hard look at these trainings and see if you need to return to them, complete them and take action.

In the days ahead I have several books in the works. Some of these books I'm writing for other people. Some of these books are my books which need to be completed. Some of my books need a fresh marketing push so more people know about them. If your book isn't selling like you want, it is normal to blame others: your publisher, your editor or whoever else other than yourself. I encourage you to look inside first and see what you can be doing to reach new readers and potential buyers for your book. One of the truths of publishing is publishers can create and sell into the bookstores beautiful and amazing books. Yet it is the author who drives readers (in many different ways) into those bookstores to buy the books. I encourage each of us to take our own responsibility for these actions and make the necessary changes in your life to take action.

The steps are not easy—for any of us—but completely possible. I believe in you and your work. If I can help you, don't hesitate to reach out to me. Great days are ahead for us. Let me know about the changes you will be making in the comments below.

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What changes will you make? Changes are hard but possible for each of us. Get some ideas here from this prolific editor and author. (ClickToTweet)