Sunday, July 17, 2011

self promo

Many, many years ago, right after my son was born, I read the perennial classic, What Color is Your Parachute?  I remember narrowing down a list of things I felt I was good at and was interested in doing.  I ended up on this verb:  WRITING.  I realized that through my years as a student, I'd always done well as a writer.  Essays, term papers, research projects. . . . I received good grades on these.  Tests, math quizzes, multiple choice final exams?  I didn't do quite as well.


So I came to the conclusion that I liked to write, and perhaps I should write.  Long story short, I decided to write a book.  Yes, a book.  It took me about 13 years, but I managed to type a short novel on our home computer.  I gave a copy to my mother, my mother-in-law, and a couple other women for Mother's Day a few years back.  Nothing else ever came of it.


Recently, I've once again done some inner searching, wondering what I'll do with the rest of my life.  I've created an Etsy account, but never put any of my handcrafted jewelry on display.  I considered making jewelry for a local craft bazaar.  Other ideas have passed through my mind.  Some good, some ridiculous.  Then I remembered back to that long gone season of reading Parachute, and decided, I need to write.  I thought back to my childhood, to the silly stories I wrote for my sister.  I remembered getting a story published I wrote when I was about eight.  Yes, I need to write.  For money?  Maybe.  For fame or glory?  Not really.  But I need to see if I can make a go of this.


Which brings me to the title of this entry:  self promo.  I have come to realize that to become a successful writer, some self promotion is most likely necessary.  I'm not talking bragging, or developing an elitist mindset.  But I do mean this:  putting myself out there, submitting work to publications, and even using social networking as an opportunity to push my work.  I follow a few authors on various social networking sites.  They let people know what they're up to.  They push [my husband would use another word, that I can't bring myself to type] their product.


This makes me a bit uncomfortable.  I'd like for Christianity Today to email me tomorrow and ask me to become a regular columnist.  Yet the reality is, that's probably not going to happen.  It might {some tomorrow}, if I am willing to expose myself.  If I'm willing to submit an article.  If I'm willing to Twitter, Twitter, Twitter up a storm about everything I write.


So, with all that said, I'm stepping up my game.  I'm going to blog more regularly.  I'm going to research publications and submit some articles.  I'm going to continue following the work of others who are successful due to their blood, sweat and tears.  


I'm gearing up for rejection, but I'm also preparing for success.  Stayed tuned. . . . 

1 comment:

  1. Swing for the fences. I guess the secret to writing is to keep putting words on the page.

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