Publishing is a business and don't you forget it... An author confession - Part 2

Writing a book is easy, publishing is the bitch - it is a business, and don't you forget it! An Author Confession Part 2 ( to read Part 1 click here). Writing about something you are passionate about and having the determination to do it gave me great satisfaction, a sense of contribution that made me feel like I could leave a legacy of some sort. Big-headed I know but isn't this something everybody would like to do? My learning curve was accepting my baby, my book, as a product, and all the marketing palaver that came with it but. Even more so, that I had to talk about myself. You see in my previous working life, it was always about the results. Of course, you connect with people but the professional expertise, the physical, and commercial achievements spoke for themselves. I didn't need to tell 'my story blah blah blah..', my zero to hero as marketers call it, blah blah blah... And being a very private person this was my worst nightmare. So, lesson 1 learned. As I said, publishing is the bitch. Taxation ( better still, how to declare earnings) was another one, although a bit dry for a blog I think - lesson 2. The most important lesson by far, however, was peer envy. To be fair it upset me terribly, I'll explain what I mean... When I first started my own consultancy business after a career in corporate where the competition was fierce, I found the word of interim/consultants to be extremely supportive. Even though in many cases many people had similar sets of skills/knowledge and/or experience, everybody was keen to help, to meet up for coffees, to refer me to their contacts. And to refer me for assignments. A peer group with a difference. I was chuffed. As soon as I said though that I was writing a book all that practical help that I had experienced before disappeared. I was upset, disappointed, annoyed. Kind of I took it personally. I mean if I had a colleague that was opening a shop/business venture, I'd go to their opening, buy something in the shop to help, share it on social media. And so on... But nope..... Did I suddenly become persona non-grata? And then I realized. It wasn't about me, it was about them. You see my friends when you pursue your dreams (successful or not) and you physically do something that people talk incenssily about as something that they'd do someday, you are showing them that all the stories they've been telling themselves of why they can't ( I haven't got the time blah, I'm too busy, blah blah... I haven't got money, blah) are just that: stories. Or better still, BS. And I went and showed off with my blog 'How to write a book in 30 days'. And voila' that elusive someday was possible. Nobody likes to be shown because then you have to tell yourself more BS or accept that perhaps you haven't got the balls for it. To put your thoughts, your words, your feelings on paper leaves you open for criticism, for failure. And that is scary (hence you need a pair). Publishing is the bitch, but it is worthed. So my friends, if I can give you some advice here it is:

• don't make excuses - you can do anything you put your mind to if you want it enough- so go for it!
• believe in yourself
• try it, what's the worse that can happen? or
• shut up about it!!!

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