For many of us independent authors, we started out in the
moonlight hours. By day we are accountants, firemen, teachers and
telemarketers, but at night, WHAM! We throw on our fancy capes and live the
glorious lives of characters that exist only in our minds.
At some point, we are ready to emerge from the darkness and
present our baby to the world. We may attempt the traditional publishing route
at first, or go directly to the less formidable self-publishing. Either way,
our blood, sweat and tears will see the
light of day.
Whether or not you decide to quit your day job, we will all
have to tell the world that we are writers. It might be that we need to be
present for our marketing strategy, or maybe we need to contact independent
bookstores and beg for mercy. No matter what, the truth has to come out.
Why don’t we just tell everyone from the get go? Why is
there such a stigma for new or independent authors? For some of us, the content
of our novels may not jive with our daily lives. Accountant by day, erotica
novelist by night; perhaps not a great conversation starter at lunch.
Or maybe there is some mildly inappropriate component to our
novel that we don’t necessarily want to reflect on ourselves or our family.
Just imagine: “Hey Grams, I just wrote this book! Kids are dropping F-bombs and
making out in the back seat like you wouldn’t believe! Can you pass it around
to all your friends?”
Perhaps we’re just nervous of being judged. Writing has a
tendency to be intensely personal, even if the content is fictional. What if
someone reads our book and doesn’t like it? We could go down in writing infamy,
to lie for all eternity somewhere next to Rebecca Black and William Hung.
So who should you tell and where should you start? First,
consider whether or not the content of your work could have negative
repercussions for your job. Do you teach elementary school? Then it’s probably
great if your students, parents, and coworkers are in the know about a
children’s book you just published. On the other hand, if you wrote a book
about sex crimes, you might just want to keep that to yourself between nine and
five.
Second, could your friends and family be negatively
represented by your novel? If you wrote a young adult novel about time travel,
you’re probably safe. If you wrote a book on the misery of your childhood and
all the therapy you had to pay for, then perhaps you shouldn’t mention your
book at Thanksgiving. It’s just not polite.
Then, consider if your friends and family could represent a
network connection for your genre. My mom happens to host a monthly book club
for some wine enthusiasts. I offered them an early copy of my book and was
floored by their enthusiastic support. Go moms!
Most importantly, do you love writing? Has writing become a
part of who you are? If there isn’t a reason to keep it to yourself, then by
all means share it with the world! Shout it from the proverbial mountain top.
Tell your barista at Starbucks, the girls who bags your groceries, and anyone
else you can get to listen.
In fact, it may be easier to start with strangers. For all
you know, you’ll never see them again. A guy on the corner asks for your spare
change? Lean out your window and shout “I wrote a book and it’s damn good!”
Sweet little lady in the elevator wants to swap life stories? Feel free to drop
in a “I’ve been writing in my basement for three years” between breaths.
It’s time to embrace it. Be proud of who you are. You are a writer. Someday you will be published. Go forth and tell the
world!
**Today's Guest Post by Author RS McCoy**
Rachel McCoy is a Texan living in New Jersey. Between binge watching MTV reality shows and baking gluten free treats, she writes paranormal fantasy and science fiction novels. She is the self-published author of the Sparks Saga trilogy as well as numerous short stories, some of which now reside in anthologies. Back when she lived in the real world, Rachel earned a degree in marine biology, which contributed to her die-hard love of manta rays.
To connect with RS McCoy (or swap recipes), visit her on her website (rsmccoyauthor.com) or check out her Facebook page (facebook.com/AuthorRSMcCoy). You can also join her newsletter to receive release updates, free stories, and bonus extras (eepurl.com/YItp1).
**Works by RS McCoy**
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