How To Handle the Perfect Storm

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Last week I got an unexpected phone call. The project I was spending hours on every day suddenly was cancelled. The same day a literary agent called me to cancel a book contract with Morgan James. Yes it was the perfect storm. From my reading in publishing, I know this sort of thing is happening on many different fronts and places. 

I went through the different stages of grief—anger, looking for revenge, and finally acceptance and moving on. I went through the various stages pretty quickly. Why? Because I've faced these storms before—not recently—but in other parts of my writing career. I've had other books cancelled. I've been fired from companies and I've had an unjust senseless lawsuit to defend (which cost thousands). In the face of these storms, some days I wish I had selected another profession. Yet at my age and experience, it is too late to change. I've spent many years in publishing working with hundreds of authors on many different books. 

Not every day is easy and there are hard days in the publishing business. One of the best steps I've learned in these situations: to pivot to something else and keep going and keep moving. If you do nothing, then nothing happens. Even if you do a little bit on a project, keep that project moving.

I'm grateful for the diversity in my writing life. I'm still working with authors on their Morgan James books—something I've been doing for eight years. I'm still writing books for other people and still working on my online business. I recently wrote this article about the importance of diversity. Every writer needs multiple streams of income so when you face the perfect storm (as I did last week), you can still continue.

I'm refocused on other projects and other priorities. I'm also knocking on new doors every day and seeing if something else will open for my writing—as well as continuing on the projects in front of me. Also make sure you celebrate the victories. I received my 27^th  review on Amazon for 10 Publishing Myths.  The review came from one of my long-term friends who has written a number of New York Times bestsellers. To my surprise, this author bought my book and wrote a five star Amazon review. I was grateful for this encouragement.

Sharon Jenkins & Terry Whalin on Facebook Live talking about 10 Publishing Myths.

Books changed lives and are essential. Last week I did about a 45 minute Facebook Live video with Sharon Jenkins about 10 Publishing Myths. We talked about all of the various myths including the 11th Myth. I hope you will follow the link and watch this free workshop. We covered a lot of ground about publishing in our conversation.

This season is a different one in our lives and writing life. We will get through it but keep going. In the comments below, let me know how you are handling the perfect storm.

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How do you handle the perfect storm? Get insights and ideas from this prolific author and editor. (ClickToTweet)

The Real Test of A Writer

For my writing life, I've created some routines and habits. These habits are important because I do them without thinking and they keep my writing and my publishing details on track and moving forward. For example, I've written about using Refollow to follow 800 new people every day on Twitter. Using these tools consistently allows my numbers to keep increasing and my platform to grow.

I am a long-term coffee lover. In fact, I have a coffee pot in my office area. I fill this pot with water and coffee ahead of time. When I get up in the morning, one of my first daily actions is to turn on my coffee pot. Then as I begin my day, I enjoy my coffee. Yet today my coffee was filled with grounds. The paper filter went wrong and the entire pot of coffee was wasted and filled with grounds. It was a giant mess. Instead of enjoying my coffee, I had to clean the pot and begin again. I finally got my coffee pot working today but it took more than simply pressing the button to turn it on. Instead of a calm start to my day, I had an immediate mess to clean.

From my recent back to back trips to events (with only two days in between), I picked up a cold virus. While I try and wash my hands on the road and be careful, despite my best intentions, I get sick. I've been increased my water consumption and trying to get more rest (even sleeping during the day a few times). I'm on the mend yet several days last week when I called authors, I'm certain I sounded different. Yet I continued making calls, writing emails, answering questions and pushing forward with the work.

Throughout my travels and illness because of using scheduling tools, my social media feeds continued without interruption. The consistency and persistence is important and a quality that I've mentioned many times in these articles. These interruptions is one of the real tests for a writer.

Everyone has unexpected things happen such as illness or a technical difficulty or countless other things. When you are at this point of decision, you have two choices. First, the unexpected can throw off your schedule and sour your attitude and prevent you from writing or meeting any other task you have as a writer. Or there is another choice: you can move forward with your writing, find a work around, switch gears to a different task and keep going. For me as a writer, I've tried to make the second choice my default action. It doesn't always work and some days I get thrown off track. Normally I determine to keep going and accomplish the task at hand. Sometimes it is consistency for writing. Other times it is working with my Morgan James authors and answering their questions and making phone calls. Your tasks will be different than mine. My encouragement is for you to find the way to make the choice to keep going.

Many others will make the first choice and get derailed from the process. Their writing will not get done and they will miss their deadlines and the books will not be published. Or maybe it is in the marketing area and their book will not get pushed and promoted so people hear about it and purchase it. If you have gotten derailed, every day is a new day. I encourage you to start fresh and keep going.

Recently in Nashville, I was talking with one of my Morgan James authors. This author has gone through some personal issues about the time his book was released two years ago. Now he has weathered that situation and is refocused on his book and the promotion. In my view, it is never too late to for a book. Yes you missed the launch of your book but are you still passionate about the topic and message in your book? As the author, your passion will drive the on-going marketing and promotion of your book. Your publisher will press on to other books. Your choice is to begin each day new and dig into the expansion of your topic and promotion. You are the only person who can determine it is too late.

What has derailed you and how are you making a fresh start on your writing life? Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

What happens when your writing gets derailed. Get ideas here for the real test of a writer. (ClickToTweet)

 

An Important Truth to Remember

Here's an important truth for every writer to keep in mind. Are you ready for it? Here it is: Much of the world is outside of your control.  I know pretty obvious? Yet when your chaotic world falls apart (and everyone has things which happen), it is important to remember that you can't control everything. In fact, some days you feel like you can't control anything.

Let me give you a couple of examples from my life in publishing. I recently promoted through my email list and social media, one of my long-term friends. I was using an affiliate link and going to earn money (eventually) from my promotion activities. Then the friend's computer crashed and the event is now going to be rescheduled. The potential earnings and promotion are now delayed but completely outside of anything I could have controlled or foreseen.

Here's another one. Recently I was looking forward to traveling to a live event. The event looked to have a great crowd and the people would be good potential authors for my work with Morgan James Publishing. Then the organizer got laryngitis and cancelled the event. She told me it was her first time to have to cancel an event in the 20 or so she had held before. It will be rescheduled in the spring but again the details were outside of my control.

When you have these types of things happen to your writing life, here's several things to do:

1. Don't let it make you depressed or ineffective. Yes the emotions are real and play into our work but shrug off what you can't control.

2. Change course and keep going in new directions. Our writing world has endless possibilities. If you need a list of possibilities, then download this free chapter from my Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams book (no optin).

3. Determine again to control what you can and let the rest go. Sometimes this is easier said than done. Maybe get outside and walk around the block. The fresh air will help you clear your head and return with new enthusiasm.

4. When you went in a new direction (#2), now dig into your new work. Because you are working on a different area, hope can increase and you can move forward.

As a writer, there are dozens of directions that you can go. Your consistent action and moving forward in the chaos is one of the keys from my experience. Yes there is much in our world that we can't control but we can take control of our own writing. As you faithfully meet your own deadlines and writing projects, you will be able to touch and help many people. If I can help you in this process, let me know. In the meantime, I will be cheering you forward.

When your writing spins out of control, what steps to you take? Are they different than the ones I wrote about here? Let me know in the comments.

Tweetable: 

A prolific writer and editor reminds us of an important truth with some practical action steps. (ClickToTweet)

Feel like your writing life is out of control? Get some fresh ideas to move ahead here. (ClickToTweet)