I
recently served as a panelist at Sarah Lawrence College Writing Institute 5th
Annual Publish and Promote Conference and thoroughly enjoyed the
experience. I like to help authors
succeed. But in listening to another
panel that day, it occurred to me that the attendees may not be fully aware of what they
need to know, and that many can’t quite process how true and helpful some of
the advice being shared really is.
It’s
similar to a parent-child relationship.
Parents look to inculcate certain values, share important experiences,
and convey specific ideas or views, but their children simply lack enough
experience to fully appreciate or understand what’s being shared with them.
One
factor is, well, "That was true for you, back then but I’m me, now, in a new
circumstance and environment." And they
may be right, to a degree, but more often than not, they are judging too
harshly the wisdom we look to provide.
Too bad youth is wasted on the young.
Another
factor is: " I plan to do things
differently or better, and what happens to others won’t necessarily happen to
me." This, too, can be true, but more likely than not if you repeat the mistakes
of others you’ll experience similar consequences.
So
how do we help others – whether as experts in publishing, parents, or some type
of coach, from sports to business?
I
know new or struggling authors want good advice. And many try to implement some of the ideas
given to them. But sometimes certain
things just don’t click with the writer and he or she can’t find a way to enact
something that they know needs to be done.
Sometimes
it’s a matter of economics. Other times,
it’s something psychological. But some
kind of barrier exists – or at least authors believe they do – and therefore,
an author can’t go from point A to B without a struggle.
Other
times I think people in need of advice just don’t hear things the way experts
say them. I may say something from a
place of knowing and the author listens, from a place of not knowing, and
perhaps my reference points, examples, or specific directions get lost in
translation.
A
lot of life is live and learn. It’s
experimental. We need to witness or
experience things firsthand to be in a position to truly act in our best interests. Sometimes a pro telling us what to do just
doesn’t cut it. We have to find our way
by choosing a path – risks and rewards aside – and learn what works for us and
what doesn’t.
But
if I had a few words of advice for authors to heed, it would be: Please listen to experts and at least try to
act on some of their advice. They can
save you a lot of time, money, and headaches.
Many authors get bad advice. Others get good advice but doubt or don’t understand it. Many authors simply don’t find out – until it’s too late – that certain things need to be done a certain way by a specific date. I’ve tried, with nearly 2,900 blog posts over seven years, to set the record straight and inform, enlighten, and inspire authors to success. Sometimes I wonder if I really make a difference.
Even, in my capacity as chief marketing officer for MEDIA CONNECT, one of the leading book publicity firms in the world, I often feel that my professional guidance, insightful advice, experience-based strategy, and visionary ideas go wasted an authors who fail to grasp – or choose to act on – the simple truisms of book publicity.
Everyone wants to be a best-seller without really putting in the work. People love the idea of having a book published, but they’re less excited to drive its marketing. They say they want to know what to do but, like an obese person seeking the help of a nutritionist, they lack the willpower or feel they don’t have the resources to be successful.
Look, some authors get it. They read up, take advice to heart, plan ahead, have dreams, and invest their time and money to really make a go at building their brand, selling books, and promoting their message to the news media and targeted groups. They learn from their mistakes, and are willing to make more. They’ll sacrifice short-term inconvenience for long-term gains.
Being an author in today’s ever-changing book marketing landscape is challenging and demanding. You are going up against mega competition to sell your product – a book – and you are seeking to break through a record amount of clutter to pierce a quantity of quality media outlets.
Maybe too many authors feel burdened by all that’s needed to be done to spread the word about their book – especially after having researched, written, and edited a 60- or 80-thousand-word book that they either were responsible for publishing or had to find a literary agent to get a publisher.
Maybe too many authors feel burdened by all that’s needed to be done to spread the word about their book – especially after having researched, written, and edited a 60- or 80-thousand-word book that they either were responsible for publishing or had to find a literary agent to get a publisher.
But excuses, competition, laziness, ego, or ignorance aside, I want to see more authors succeed and to get their writing careers elevated and books embraced by the masses. Authors can create entire worlds and make a real difference with their words. But they’ll need to go beyond just writing in order for their writings to make their mark.
Authors need to listen to people like me, who try to tell them in clear terms, what they need to do - or avoid doing – to have a chance at being truly successful. It’s not that I know everything, because I don’t, but I know a lot and I just want to see really good writers give themselves the best possible chance to achieve.
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