When I hear somebody sigh, “Life is hard,” I am always tempted to ask, “Compared to what?” Sydney J. Harris
I’d like to announce the release of a new e-book titled STICKS AND STONES: Finding Freedom In The Face Of Criticism. It’s a free PDF download. You can click the link in the sidebar or go to my resources page to download.
I hope you’ll check it out and perhaps pass it along to others. Let me know what you think of it.
Caution: the remainder of this post is blatantly self-serving. I’ll understand if you skip it. If you keep reading, I’ll offer an insider’s view of one of my biggest fears.
When I decided to get into writing as a profession, I had some reservations.
- Mostly I wondered if I could write anything useful or interesting enough that others would actually take time to read it.
- I knew virtually nothing about writing or publishing professionally, and I wondered if I’d learn enough to avoid looking like a total idiot.
- I wondered if I’d run out of things that interested me enough to write about them with passion and conviction.
I’ve addressed each of these concerns, and I imagine that process will continue as long as I pursue this relatively new endeavor. But mostly I’ve found that I enjoy the challenges, and I’ve generated enough interest and success to keep me going.
However, by far the biggest challenge I encounter has only gotten worse. I don’t like selling and promoting, and I really don’t like selling and promoting myself or my own work. I have nothing against people who sell stuff for a living. It’s just not what I enjoy. I’m uncomfortable with the entire process, probably due to some deep insecurity or fear of rejection.
I overcame a certain amount of this discomfort by selling articles to print magazines (here’s a link to a few), and I’m fairly at ease in that environment now. I solicited an agent for my book and was delighted to encounter interest and encouragement–another obstacle surmounted.
But then I discovered a painful reality of book publishing. Unless you’re an established author or a well-known personality, marketing a book is almost completely the author’s responsibility.
I’d like to sit back and say, “Well, it’s God’s story. If He wants it told, He’ll provide sales.” However, I think this is one situation in which God can move mountains, but He’s accomplishing it by handing me the shovel. It seems that He expects me to actually work at this. I’ve actually had a reasonable amount of success, more than I anticipated. But there’s one thing I’ve avoided.
So you’re asking, “What does this have to do with me?”
Good question. I have a simple request, and I guess you don’t get what you want unless you ask. With great trepidation, I’m asking you to help me promote sales of Relentless Grace.
If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Gandhi
How are you supposed to do that? Well, you could buy a signed copy of the book from my website or from Amazon.com. You can find out more about the book here. If you’ve read the book, perhaps you’d point everyone in your universe to it with a glowing recommendation. In fact, here’s a whole list of ways you can help.
Actually, one of the biggest ways you can help is by arranging for me to speak to a group. Then they can hear a bit of my story and decide if it’s interesting enough to merit a book purchase. If you have any ideas, please send me an email.
I promise I won’t make a habit of this. Thanks for accommodating my request, and I hope you’ll download and enjoy the ebook.
I’m not looking for best-seller status, but I do honestly believe that Relentless Grace contains a message of hope that will be helpful to readers. And if you’re not a buyer right now, I hope you continue to visit the site and enrich the circle.
Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don’t go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won’t laugh at you. Jim Rohn
Did you enjoy this article? Please leave a comment, visit my website, and/or send me an email at rich@richdixon.net.
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