Secret to Author Success = Hard Work

Nobody is perfect, but sometimes we use too many excuses for delaying/not finishing a project. My goal of getting Missionary Stories submitted to my publisher by now has come and gone. Again. My other WIP (work in progress) took priority because it has critique group deadlines and is more fun to work on. That's because the stage I'm at is one of organizing, copying permissions, and filling out submission forms instead of creating. So close.  

Are you achieving your goals? What is preventing your success? Here's a little "tough love" list from Jim F. Kukral of the Author Marketing Institute. He gives 13 reasons we aren't as successful an author as we should be, which I have summarized or you can view the webinar. Rather than beat yourself up and suffer writer's guilt, pick one thing to improve/correct over the next month. You won't regret it!

1. Laziness. Examine how you think and act.
2. Entitlement. Nobody owes you anything; get to work!
3. Fear. Authors take many risks. Imagine what you can do when you stop the fear excuses.
4. Negativity. Surround yourself with successful, positive people.
5. Stop Thinking. Don't analyze, do instead of think.
6. No Goals. Plan, rather than play it by ear. Write them down and keep them with you.
7. "They". Forget everyone else. You alone control your success.
8. No "X" factor. It doesn't matter how outgoing or beautiful you are. Just work hard.
9. Time Wasters. Unproductive work that doesn't achieve your goals. Are you busy doing the right things?
10. Social BS. Too much time spent on social media.
11. Thinking Too Small. Think long-term. Lead rather than follow.
12. Don't Want It. Fight negative internal messages. Believe instead of dream.
13. Don't Believe. Ignore messages that say only a few succeed. It's hard work that wins, not luck.

As for me, I have a plan now to quit analyzing things and do the actual work. In one month's time, I expect to have this submission behind me. It's public now; got to do it. Just saying.

Million Dollar Emotional Appeal for the Right Audience - Personal Preference vs. Objectivity

David Farland gave a nice webinar talk for the recent IndieReCon workshop, titled "Million Dollar Ideas". He expounded on the following main points: 1) A great setting, 2) The right protagonist, 3) Emotional appeal, 4) Keeping your audience surprised and intrigued, and 5) Using the best distribution plan for the type of book. All good stuff.

A segment from the Emotional Appeal section took me in a different direction. Farland asked the question, "What does the audience love?" He explained that this is influenced by gender, and changes as we get older. Children love wonder. Girls start to like romance. Boys want adventure. Adults like mystery and or drama. Later on, we might want something more intellectual. These generalities affect how we write and how we view the work of others.

It hit me that our likes and dislikes, because of age and sex, enter into our comments to a critique group or as a beta reader. One step further would be why book reviews get varied responses. Are we being objective enough or do we let our personal emotional appeal tastes get in the way?

In my critique group we have a Middle Grade writer of horror and adventure, a Young Adult fantasy writer, a Contemporary Sweet Romance writer, and me--Historical Romance based on the Book of Mormon. All are females, but I am half a generation older than the other three. Does this mean I might enjoy submissions by the romance writer more than the other two? Most likely, but not by a large degree. Any writing done well can be enjoyable. 

This means we should be just as competent critiquing any writing as with our favorites. Writing elements such as clarity, pacing, or sentence structure are similar across all genres. Whether or not you love it is personal. Of personal preferences versus objectivity, should one rule or should we strive for a balance as a critique group member, beta reader, or book reviewer? 

Attention Freeloaders: It's IndieReCon Time

"Free" isn't always a good word. Sometimes it's attached to something else--like a 90 minute time-share presentation or having to buy the small drink and fries that will blow your diet to get it. But in this case, FREE is a very good word.

If you've ever wanted free, excellent advice and education about writing, publishing (especially self-publishing) and the marketing industry--whether or not you plan to self-publish--this is your chance. And you can even attend in your jammies!
 
IndieReCon 2015 runs April 15-17 on your own device. All you have to do is register. If you can't make it in real-time, return later to read the articles that apply or interest you most.

Yes, I'm signed with a traditional publisher, but I'll be there. Why? Because who knows when I will have hybrid opportunities. Why? Because I've learned some good things from past conferences. Why? Because many topics apply to all authors and I'm still a novice. I can use professional advice on creating a bestseller, planning social media campaigns, writing serials, self-editing, Pinterest, author rights, advertising/marketing, and much more. You can look up the schedule ahead of time and mark your favs. Enjoy!

Freedom of the Written Word

With recent celebrations of Easter and LDS General Conference sessions (Mormons) fresh on my mind, I turn today to a deeply personal subject that has stirred the passions of many for thousands of years--the freedom to speak and write that which one believes. Kings have beheaded citizens for speaking their minds and armies have fought against losing such privileges. That which we think, we often share. Reasons include educating, debating, helping, convincing, soliciting change, socializing, expressing emotion, and negative purposes like hurtful gossip. There is mighty power in words.

My book projects have so far been devoted to a select niche of readers, hoping to inspire and entertain the LDS audience. My subject matter has only been possible through the acceptance of religious freedom. I must allow others to express their contrary opinions, as they must allow me the same. The individual has choice over which material to read, listen to, accept or reject.

In gathering and editing stories for my soon-to-be-completed narrative non-fiction books, Missionary Stories and Bishop Stories, I have been touched and uplifted by the experiences of others, and desire to share them. This would not be possible without the freedom of the written word. Whether or not these are traditionally or self-published, there exists today many options for writers to share their written works. I feel blessed to be able to participate in spreading the written word of that which I see as good.

The power to move others is in you. Move forward on your own writing goals.