The Value of Reflection

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Some people attribute this quotation to Mark Twain, “Find a job that you love and you will never work a day in your life.” I have found the truth in this statement as a writer and editor. While there are certainly routine and boring aspects of my work (as in every job), overall I love my life in publishing and spend many hours at my keyboard or on the phone with authors and others. My work is something I love and do every day. 

 

Almost like clockwork, my email and interaction with others drops off from Thanksgiving until after New Year's Day. I've called these days the silent days of publishing and written about them in the past. Instead of cutting back like some, I tend to lean into the work. For example, last week before Christmas, I processed a number of submissions to Morgan James Publishing. In this process, I've located some new authors who are passionate about their writing and want to get their book published. To me, this process of discovery is fun and exciting. Will these authors get book contracts from my colleagues? Until I try it, I never know so I'm pushing their material forward through the process. If they get a contract from my colleagues, will they sign the paperwork and move forward? I never know until it happens and I've learned that it is impossible to predict. I'm only responsible for my part of the process and have leave the rest of it up to others. As the book is produced and enters the market, will it catch the attention of readers and sell? I've learned making books is easy and something many companies can do for writers but selling books is another story. Like many aspects of publishing, the selling of books is outside of my control. I've learned to take my own responsibility for my books and leave the rest of it.

 

In the quiet of these days, I find value in taking a few moments for reflection on the past year and my plans for the future. I've written this article to encourage you to  take some time for reflection and planning for your future.

 

As I think about the last year, what worked and what failed? As you consider the days ahead what changes will you make and do differently? For example, I've found I'm not reading some magazines as much as I did in the past. Recently I cancelled a weekly publication which I have been reading for decades. For my situation, it was a wise decision. What changes like those do you need to make for your writing life? Also consider your habits and routines. Which ones will you continue and which ones do you need to modify or eliminate? How can you foster your curiosity about the world around you? What do you want to learn and how can you take those courses and apply them to your writing life?

 

As you can tell from reading these article, I see the world as filled with opportunity. You need to seize the day and pitch to the right person and open those doors in your writing life. I have great expectations about the days ahead.

 

Do you take time for reflection then making some changes to your life? Let me know your process in the comments below.

 

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The Writing Life Rollercoaster

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Our life as writers is filled with highs and lows. When our work gets published, it's a high. Maybe it is a magazine article or a chapter in an anthology or your first book or ____ book. When each of these pieces get into the world, it makes you feel good.

 

Then there are the lows when you get a negative royalty statement. If you've never heard this term, it's where you received an advance from your publisher but the book hasn't earned back or sold enough books to make any more money. You still get statements from the publisher but they are in the minus or negative category. Or you look at your reviews and see a one star review where someone threw your book into the subway trash can. I didn't make up that line but someone actually wrote that statement on an Amazon review about one of my successful books.

 

These highs and lows of the writing life can be compared to riding a rollercoaster. As you ride, the rollercoaster slowly climbs to the top but when you reach it, you know you are headed down on the other side. Every writer experiences these highs and lows as a part of our writing life—including me. 

 

How do you ride through these highs and lows of the writing life? It's what I want to give you in this article. There are several key practices for every successful writer to practice. I'm not talking about practicing something once but building it into the fiber of your life and doing it over and over.

 

Persistence and Perserverance. As writers, we are told “no” a great deal—at least it happens in my life. Phone calls aren't returned. Contracts are not taken when offered. Projects get cancelled and many other things happen in the process of working with others. Yes, it hurts and is “not personal but business” along with other phrases people use to soften the blow. When you have this experience you can certainly quit and move away from the project. Or you can do what Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen did as they were rejected 140 times for the Chicken Soup for the Soul proposal. They looked at each other and said, “Next.” See the hope built into that word? The current project wasn't a fit for you but you are turning and looking for the next one. Your persistence and perserverance is what will count to eventually make it happen.

 

Consistency.  Since July, 2008, I've posted on Twitter over 68,000 times. Yes, that is a lot of posts. If you look at my Twitter Feed, I post about 12–15 times a day in a consistent pattern.  At times, I wonder if anyone is reading these posts or cares. In April, I met a high-profile author and the first thing he told me is that he reads my Twitter posts. He applauded my consistency and how I stay on message with these posts.  I blog consistently and write these new entries every week. These are just two examples of my consistent actions. What steps are you taking consistently. Are you meeting new people through LinkedIN or Facebook, then helping those people? Are you pitching new editors or podcast hosts or radio programs or something else you want to do? Your consistency will pay off in the long haul. Nothing is immediate in this business. As Jerry B. Jenkins wrote in the Foreword of my 10 Publishing Myths: Left Behind was his 125^th  published book. He was not an overnight success but has consistently worked at his craft and presence in the publishing world. Left Behind was originally published over 20 years ago and continues to sell at least 10,000 copies each month and the series has sold over 60 million books. Consistency is an important quality.

 

Continued Improvement and Growth. I've never claimed to be the best writer in the room but I am one of the more persistent and consistent writers. Another key to this writing life rollercoaster is continuing to grow and improve as a writer. I love what Darren Hardy encourages in his Darren Daily. He has created the hashtag #BetterEveryDay. It's why I continue to read books on the craft of writing, take online courses and learn from others. It's a key part of my writing life—and hopefully your life as well.

 

Knocking on New Doors. I've gotten wound up on this article so I'm going to bring it to a conclusion. Be meeting new people and pitching new projects in new places. The opportunities are there but you have to be knocking on the doors.

 

I've given you some important characteristics for the writing life rollercoaster. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

 

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What Action Do You Take When You Fail?

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

I have many aspects of my work in publishing which fail to yield many results (if anything). Failure and rejection is a consistent part of this business. As a writer, I've been published many times in magazines and books but I've also failed in this process. In this article I want to give you some examples and what I do in these situations. I write this information in hopes, it will encourage you to keep going inspite of these situations. The worst action you can take when failing is to stop and give up. I've watched many others stop writing or trying to get their work published.

 

Here's just a few of the ways I have failed:

 

I craft and send emails that don't get a response (silence). It happens whether I'm pitching an editor on a magazine article or a book editor on a proposal or writing a friend to endorse my book or promoting somethng to my email list. These situations are a part of my life and in a sense a failure—but only a failure if I let it stop me from continuing the journey.

 

I work with authors and my publishing colleagues at Morgan James Publishing to send them a book contract—which they never sign and return. I understand authors have many options where their book is published and we are not always the best fit for them. It is frustrating to invest the time and energy into another person then have them not respond or not sign their contract (even though I follow-up with them). Sometimes the reason is simply a timing issue. In recent weeks, I've had a couple of authors where I offered them a publishing contract several years ago and they did not sign it, but now the timing is right and they are going to sign their contract and move forward. Through the process, I've learned we only see what we see and not all of the dynamics in the other person's situation. It may look like failure.

 

Or maybe I launch a marketing campaign for a book or a product with few results or no sales. These are only a few examples of things I try and little happens. When you face a failure, what actions do you take? Here's some of the things I do:

 

1. I change the pace and write something different. The writing world has many possibilities for you to write. If you need some ideas, check out the free chapter of my Jumpstart Your Publishing Dream book. Follow this link to get it.

 

2. I pitch someone else with my rejected project. Use Google or your market guide to find other places for your pitch then get that project back into the marketplace for consideration. You are looking for the right fit and that process often takes multiple times to find.

 

3. I read a how-to book for ideas and motivation. I read how-to books all the time for ideas, insight and motivation. While I've written several of these books (see the offer below), these books often move me into a different mindset and I'm ready to try again and take action.

 

4. I make some new connections on LinkedIN or another network. Often in publishing, it is who you know as much as what you know. LinkedIn will suggest people for possible connection. As you expand your network, you also expand your possibilities for writing opportunities. Editors and others move around in the publishing world, but they take their LinkedIn accounts with their change.

 

I've only given a few ideas about what to do when what I try fails. There are many other ways. What actions do you take? Let me know in the comments below.

  

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What Changes Will You Make?

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

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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Five Sure-Fire Ways to Fail as a Book Author

For many years I've written on the positive ways to succeed as a book author in these articles. Yet there is another path which many people take on the road to publishing their book. Here's five sure-fire ways to fail as an author:

1. Believe if I build it, they will come. These authors pour energy and effort into building a great website for their book. While a website is important in your book marketing, it isn't everything. You may have the slickest well-written website but without telling people about it, no one will come. There are millions of websites online. If the author doesn't drive traffic and eyeballs to see your content, then it does not help you or your book sales. There is much more to the process than simply building a website and hoping (without action) that people will come.

2. Believe I know everything there is to know about publishing. I've met authors (some of them even well-known bestselling authors) who believe they know everything there is to know about publishing. These people ooze confidence. I've spent decades in this business and read the trade magazines and other things constantly. Things are constantly shifting in publishing and there is always more to learn—and I do learn new things all the time. Overconfidence can be a pitfall for authors. It is great to believe in yourself but be balanced in that view.

3. Believe the publisher will sell my books for me without marketing. Publishers make and release amazing books. Yet without marketing and telling someone about that book—then no one will purchase it. No matter how you publish your book (traditional, hybrid or self-publishing), the bulk of the marketing effort will fall on the author. Authors are fooling themselves if they believe their publisher will sell the books—with or without marketing. Yes publishers can get your book into bookstores—but it is the author's marketing efforts that get readers to purchase the books.

4. Believe attending a writers' conference is a waste of time. For an author to go to any event (local or far away), you will invest time and money in this process. If you attend these events with the wrong expectations or attitude, then you will set yourself up to not get anything out of it. I believe every author can cut down their learning curve from attending writers' conferences, meeting the right people and applying the information they learn to their book and marketing efforts. Knowledge without action is worthless but you can certainly meet many of the right people at a conference. If you haven't been to a conference or haven't been for some time, I encourage you to make plans and a commitment to get to a conference (check out this link for a list of some conferences). Attending a conference can invigorate your writing life and success as a book author.

5. Believe the title, cover and publisher do not matter. Each of these elements are critical in the book purchase process. I've bought books because of a title or a cover design. I've also not purchased books because of the publisher.  Many consumers do not notice the publisher and I admit to being a more sophisticated consumer than many people. These elements are a critical part of the book production process and essential for your success.

I've written about only five of many different ways a book author can fail. The details are an important part of the process. Maybe I'm missing a critical way for an author to fail? Let me know in the comments below.

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Not Accepting Failure

The USA Today headline blared, "Entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki doesn't accept failure." What's up with that?

Through the years, I've heard Guy speak a number of times in different settings. When I worked at Christianity.com, I met Guy at a conference (years ago). He is an out-going, highly-visible and innovative person. I encourage you to read the USA Today article and in particular this last quote: "At the end of my life, is it better to say that I empowered people to make great stuff, or that I died with a net worth of $10 billion? " Kawasaki says. "Obviously I'm picking the former, although I would not mind both." You can actually hear Guy Kawasaki tomorrow (Tuesday, November 11th) if you follow this link.

I began to consider what it takes as a writer in today's environment to not accept failure. It means summoning the courage to persist in the middle of rejection. It means continually pitching and knocking on doors until you locate the right one (or ones) which open for your work.

If you want to get your book idea published, are you learning the best possible way to pitch and position your idea when you talk with literary agents and editors? The expectations of editors and agents are high ones for book proposals and manuscripts because of the flood of information coming their direction. You have seconds to capture their attention and you don't want to squander that opportunity.

I've been re-reading Fern Reiss' excellent book, The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days. On page 18, Reiss includes a remarkable list of books which were self-published when introduced to the reading public. Here's just a few of 27 titles:

A Time to Kill by John Grisham

In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

The Elements of Style by William Strunk

The Publishing Game is focused on how you can create your own book and push it into the market. It honestly says, "The entry barriers to independent publishers are high. True, by independently publishing you bypass the agents and publishers who wouldn't even unwrap your manuscript. You have control. Unfortunately, unless you have a direct line to your customers, you may nonetheless find it difficult to get your book into circulation." (page 18 & 19). Then the promise of the book, "On the other hand, there are creative ways to bypass these entry barriers. This book tells you how."

The route to getting published is not easy. Can you take a smaller (and shorter) goal such as writing for magazines before your book idea gets into print? Absolutely. Editors and agents are looking for evidence of your involvement in the publishing world--and writing for print magazines can validate and build that confidence.

Keep stretching and learning. The next bit of information you gain from your writing education may provide the key to open the door of opportunity. I encourage you to look into a session I did with eight top editors and literary agents called Secrets About Proposals. You can instantly access this information, download the audio and listen to it. A second tool that I created to help you get on the publisher and agent radar is Proposal Secrets:

This audio coaching program will help answer the typical questions that authors have about pitching and proposals.

Finally I want to return to something everyone can apply to their writing life: attitude. Look inside and summon the courage to persist and move ahead with your dreams and not accept failure. This attitude will show up in your writing.

Value For Failure

Ever wonder what in the world you are supposed to be learning from this situation? It happens to me on a regular basis. I've been trying to add to these entries on The Writing Life but other events have crowded into my schedule. I've been on the road again and on a slammed schedule which hasn't allowed any time for blogging. I continue to learn valuable lessons and insight through different experiences. It's what I've tried to capture in many of these entries. I'm off on another trip today (the second one this week) but it's a special one--our 12th anniversary. While I am not real crazy about Las Vegas, it's where we're headed later today. It's the last year for Celine Dion and her show, A New Day. It should be fun and a quick trip--over today and back tomorrow. It's a glimpse into my life but I hope it helps you understand why I haven't been as consistent with my entries here.

One of the publications which I enjoy reading is Fast Company. This month includes a fascinating article called, "Failure Doesn’t Suck" about Sir James Dyson. I recommend the entire article but make sure you read this opening, "Today, Dyson makes the best-selling vacuum cleaner by revenue in the United States and is one of the richest blokes in Britain. But it took him 15 years and nearly his entire savings to develop his bagless, transparent creation. His latest innovation, a hand dryer that uses neither heat nor evaporation, took only three years, but Dyson says his grinding, error-filled approach hasn't changed.

You once described the inventor's life as "one of failure." How so?

I made 5,127 prototypes of my vacuum before I got it right. There were 5,126 failures. But I learned from each one. That's how I came up with a solution. So I don't mind failure. I've always thought that schoolchildren should be marked by the number of failures they've had. The child who tries strange things and experiences lots of failures to get there is probably more creative."

What an example of persistence! I've met many writers who have sent out their manuscript once or twice and been rejected, then they quit. They stick it back in their desk drawer and figure no one wanted to publish their work. In some cases, the proposal or manuscript wasn't good and should have been rejected. The rejection isn't always for that reason. There are many reasons for rejection and some of them are tied to the author's work and some of them have nothing to do with the author. As I've written many times, it's a matter of getting to the right publisher at the right time with the right manuscript. It's like every detail has to line up right for it to happen and many authors are not willing to fail or persist to find that perfect spot. Are you learning from your failure and growing from them? I hope today each of us can follow the example of Sir James Dyson.