We’ve said goodbye to summer with a warm welcome offered to
fall and while we are still being treated to some beautiful autumn days, we
accept that the season, and soon our weather, will change. And with the move
into a new season, I’ve been working on my own preparations for change.
Change is necessary in order to avoid becoming stagnant. I’m
learning that, bit by stubborn bit, as I continue to learn more about the craft
of writing and the business of marketing my books. What works, what doesn’t,
what I enjoy, what I don’t…it all begins in unknown territory and has a huge
learning curve. I take solace in the fact that I’m not alone. I’ve enjoyed the
number of webinars I’ve taken part in and the conferences and events I’ve been
able to attend this year where I’ve learned some great tips and tricks of the
trade from other authors and business entrepreneurs.
Thankfully, the business of writing is somewhat forgiving.
If something about the process doesn’t go quite as planned, you can move on and
begin again with the next book or marketing plan and hope for better results
while avoiding prior mistakes. What’s great about the business of writing is
that there are so many authors out there who have gone through this process,
have learned from it and are willing to share their experiences so that others
can learn from them. What’s frustrating about the business of writing is that
it’s constantly changing and it can be somewhat difficult to keep up when you
consider what you learn today may be slightly obsolete tomorrow.
It can be a challenge but if it were easy, as the saying
goes, everyone would do it.
I was reviewing my business plan, now that we’re moving into
the last quarter of the year, and once I finalized my plan through the end of
this year, I realized I actually enjoy this task. I first wrote about business
plans in May, when I finally got around to drafting my first plan. All the
authors I follow and the books I’ve read about the business of writing stress
the need for a business plan, but it just seemed too daunting, and too serious.
Problem is…I guess that’s the problem with writers (and anyone else who sells
what they love to do); we don't enjoy treating our craft like a business. I finally had to relent to the task once I acknowledged it
was necessary to take writing seriously by treating it like a business. The artist
in me doesn’t like it, but the entrepreneur in me understands. And whether or
not I’m able to reach all the goals I have mapped out in my business plan, at
least I begin the quarter with a feeling of accomplishment once I have the plan
complete.
The trick, for me, when it comes to what I want to complete
in the coming quarter is not expecting too much of myself, while choosing the
right tasks to keep the momentum going. This is another area with a big
learning curve and since this is only the second quarter since I began using a
business plan, I expect it won’t work out perfectly.
But that’s okay...perfection would mean
no room for improvement, and would take away all the fun.
My plan for the remainder of the year involves writing,
having some fun with marketing and taking steps necessary to work toward
additional marketing and platform building to build on after the first of the
year. Some items may be easy, while others are taking me out of my comfort
zone.
I'll just need to keep this quote in mind:
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
~Neale Donald
Walsch~
Until next time, read on and carry on.
Just popping in to say hello and to let you know about a promotion currently running on my latest book, Note to My Author Self.
