After nine blissful months of pregnancy and thirty-three excruciating hours of labor, my beautiful baby boy was born. After ten years of searching for land two years of construction mishaps, our custom home was erected. Both experiences were only the beginning of a lifetime of commitment and dedication.Birthing a book is equivalent to building a house or having a child. The real work begins and continues after the grand entrance.
When I was a newly published author, I was erroneously under the impression that the five years I had spent toiling to make every sentence sing signaled the end of my arduous journey. Now, I presumed, since I had built it, âtheyâ would come while I embarked on my next writing adventure. Wrong, oh, so very wrong!
Publishing is a business, not a hobby. To grow a business, marketing and promoting are essential. When it comes to the book business, publicity and platform are the key elements to success. Whether traditionally or self-published, every author must be the writer, producer, director, and public relations firm of her own production. Publicity is 24/7, ongoing, and perpetual. Creating buzz around a book costs money, energy, time, and an Olympian spirit to win.
The most important thing any author needs to know about the book business is that being a laudable author is a marathon, not a sprint. As cliché as it is, if you want to become a star, you have to be the star you are. Be prompt, be persistent, be passionate, be everywhere!
As a mom, I am and always will be a doctor, lawyer, cook, teacher, housekeeper, police officer, playmate, ent
ertainer, and head cheerleader to my children. As a homeowner, itâs up to me to be the decorator, landscaper, window washer, pipe cleaner, fence fixer, maintenance provider, bill payer, pooper scooper, and good neighbor. And as an author, I am the Chief Enthusiasm Officer of my books, championing my cause, walking my talk, and exciting others to read my words by constantly promoting, publicizing, and producing while being the consummate mother and contractor of my artistic empireâ¦today, tomorrow, and forever.
