I don’t know about you, but it is easier for me to see where other people need to change to achieve writing success than it is for me to see where I need to change. After all, I make sales and have a resume to prove it.
That said, I also have dozens upon dozens of computer files of drafts I have never finished. And I don’t mean finished ready to send out. I mean that I often don’t finish a full draft if no one is waiting for the project.
Recently I picked up a copy of Make It: Turn Your Creative Skills into a Business and Thrive Doing What You Love by Martina Flor. Flor is a lettering artist and author. She has written this book for other creatives who want to make a living as actual creatives.
One of the topics that Flor discusses is turning from being an amateur to being a professional. In Flor’s mind, an amateur is someone who treats the work that they do as practice. A professional is someone who treats the various projects that they are working on as contracted jobs. What does this mean? They plan it out, consider the steps, and take it to final.
Ouch. Does that mean I’m an amateur?
I think it all depends on what we are talking about. I make a living writing nonfiction. Fiction is what often goes unfinished although I do have several unfinished nonfiction projects.
So what can I learn from Flor’s approach? If I want to publish fiction, I have to finish it. I know that, but sometimes I need a reminder. And I need to decide if I want to one day call myself a fiction author.
Just when Flor's ideas were sinking in, I saw Susan Freidman’s blog post, “Do Podcast Interviews Sell Books? You’re Asking the Wrong Question.” You can find it here.
In her post, Freidman discusses the number of authors she knows who are disappointed after they appear on a podcast and then don’t see the sales of their books go up as a result. Like Flor, Freidman wants people to change how they are looking at things. Appearing on podcasts isn’t an opportunity to sell books as much as it is an opportunity to build recognition.
Let’s say you’ve written a book about essay writing. You want people to buy it. So you work to get podcast appearances. You don’t see your sales go up so you quit trying to get those interviews.
According to Freidman, you need to change your focus. You need to look instead for the ripples. One podcast interview leads to another which leads to a different speaking opportunity. Your authority and expertise grow. You are invited to teach a class, and everyone is required to buy your book.
Eventually podcast interviews may lead to book sales. But that will be because they lead to expertise and other opportunities first.
Are you getting what you want from your creative career? Maybe you need to change how you are thinking about something before you can succeed.
--SueBE
- To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog.
To get a free copy of Sue’s book, What to Do When Your Book Is Banned, subscribe to her newsletter, One Writer’s Journey, here.
Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 80 books for young readers.
She is also the instructor for 3 WOW classes which begin on the first Monday of every month. She teaches:
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