The fact that your readers are what inspires your ideas hardly makes up for the fact the your a prisoner to your own thoughts. In order to reach your readers, you must untangle the web of ideas that plagues you. Your thoughts originate from deep inside you. They are your own mystery waiting to be solved. In fact, they make up a message that longs to be discovered. This message is your true self, the reason you became a writer, a messenger, even a leader. It is an honor, and the burden is one upon which you are proud to bear.

Look forward to the darkness and the bombardment of ideas because you wouldn’t be a writer if it wasn’t for the night. Darkness is lonely. Darkness is peaceful. Darkness is the confusion that created the dark force to begin with, and now offers you the opportunity to get in touch with yourself and what you stand for. Darkness is not evil, nor is it good. It just is.

Knowing yourself makes you a better writer. There is different between writing about what you know and knowing what you write. Knowing yourself means knowing what makes your own heart beat. It means knowing about yourself that which you wish to share with others. When you write what you know, you might write about an experience or incorporate a familiar setting. Knowing what you write is delivering the message you want your readers to take away from your work.

A writer’s life can be solitary, but when you are alone you get to know yourself very well. By getting in touch with yourself, you will answer questions you never thought possible. Things become clear that were once shrouded in fog. Suddenly, the loneliness of the night fades away. Ideas become untangled. You look forward to the darkness. You’ve discovered your message. You realize all of the obstacles you’ve overcome had a purpose. They made you into the person you are. They gave you a reason for being. You found it. You believe in it. A fire inside ignites. You know what you have to do. You know what you want to say. You know how you want to say it. The dark force has become the enemy you depend on instead of the enemy you fear.

Because this is so, there are still questions. Why did it take you so long to discover who you really are and what your message is when it was there all the while? There is no particular answer, but there is always an answer. We become complex as we age, but we develop our nature when we are very young. Who we are gets lost somewhere along the way. You may have to go back in time to discover the key. You may have to go back to a single incident in your childhood. You may be blocking something out that happened a long time ago that affected the way you live your life today. It may be painful. It may be relieving. Regardless, you have to go back to move forward.

Everyone has a time in their life that marked a significant turning point. That is the point where the seed of your message fell into the soil. It’s been growing ever since before your very eyes. You’ve just refused to see it. Now, you do. There’s no reason to dwell on it any longer. Your job is the future, to make a difference. You have a gift. You have an audience. You are the definition of a leader. The time has come to lead, and you lead with your message.

When it comes to delivering your message, it’s much easier to write for a specific group than for a group of specifics. A specific group already has a preference as to who they listen to and read. The may not be locked into a specific message, but they certainly lean in one direction or another. Writing for a group of specifics would be like throwing darts blind hoping to his the target. If your message appears to fit in with the ideals of a specific group, they will likely give you an opportunity to deliver it. You have to be cautious, however. A reader is as quick to spot a liar as anyone. In other words, you have to do more than be able to deliver your message. You have to believe it if you want anyone else to believe it. When you believe it, delivering it becomes second nature. You will find it gets wrapped into all of your writing in some capacity, thus defining you, thus sharing your mysteries with others so they may unlock their own.

Once a reader relates to you, they will come back time and again either to refresh your message in their minds or to watch you grow in hopes of growing with you. Again, the power of the written word reveals itself. Once you’ve captured your audience, your responsibility is to remain consistent. Your message should grow, but it should not change so dramatically that you lose your identity and your readers along with it. Consistency and the desire for growth is what a reader craves. By satisfying their hunger, they reward you by helping you to shoulder your responsibilities as a leader. Even when you are lonely, you are never alone.

With confidence and the help of your readers, you can do more than defend yourself against the dark force; you can fight back. A leader controls his own destiny. Lead well, and be loved. Lead poorly, and be resented. There’s no middle ground for a writer. You either make it or you don’t. A leader knows who they are and what they stand for. They aren’t afraid to reveal themselves to others because they have the confidence to not care about the few who don’t agree with their message. They let their message ripple across the ocean loud and clear drawing those who would listen and distancing those who would not. The dark force does not have such power. It relies on the darkness inside you. Now, you control this darkness.

Make the darkness of the night the light that leads your career. You know yourself better than anyone. It may take some time to unlock your own secrets. However, by doing so you will pave the path for your readers to follow you. A solid message is what can make the difference between good writing and memorable writing. It can be whatever you want, delivered however you want. It can be delivered through character development or by simply spelling it out. Whatever your course, your message has to come from deep inside yourself. If you let your readers know you, they will be more than willing to carry you through the darkness. They will help you fight the dark force. They will never leave your side. They are your children and you should nurture them. They will reward you in the end.

We made it through the night, and the dawn has come. The day brings a new excitement to our voyage. We discovered a triangular relationship that goes from you to the author, the author to the audience, and back to you. Invincibility has become a staple aboard our vessel. Confidence is rampant. The dark force sees this. It’s angry. It reorganized and became more powerful than ever because it feeds off of our own success. It’s a beautiful day. If it wasn’t for the tidal wave approaching our bow, it might have been the day we broke the glass ceiling. No matter. We will break it tomorrow.

The sun finally disappears. Dusk transitions to night. The air turns cold while the moon has yet to rise. It amazes us how the strength of light feeds the insecurity of darkness. The dark force reminds us that it does exist by showing us how quickly such a feeling of invincibility can be transformed to a weapon it can use against us. And yet it is in these moments of transition when the highs are at their peak and the lows seem like canyons in the deepest sea that we fall back on the one thing that never changes. It is in these fractions of time between sunset and nightfall that the true voices that cry for us to do what we do so well sing us the songs of motivation. We are writer’s. We write to be heard. The fact that the dark force has even taken notice means that we are on the right path. Now, it’s time to go farther. We are writer’s. We wright to be heard… by Everyone.

Writing is about communicating. Whether it’s fact or fiction, your objective as a writer is to convey information to your reader. The point of this information is to stimulate a reaction. The more reaction you are able to simulate, the more you will bring your reader into the place you want them to be. Once you have them there, you will be able to convey whatever message you want them to take away from your writing. The term for this is influence, and it’s a huge responsibility not to be taken lightly. Comic books refer to it as mind control. Literature classifies it as the written word. In nature, it’s the single voice that starts the stampede. History labels it as power. You call it your heart.

Communication is the most essential element to any social structure. It creates and destroys relationships every minute of every day. It is the variable in every facet of our lives from economics to politics that has the most direct affect on the outcome. It is what will determine whether you are heard or ignored. In order to achieve the level of communication necessary to be a good writer, you must be willing to sacrifice your heart for the benefit of your reader. It is the words from the heart that have the most dramatic affect. These words flow off the pages like a river running wild and can be plucked by even the most immature of readers. Human beings communicate through emotion. Writing is about emotion. Your heart is a bottle of emotion waiting to be released. Releasing it is how to be heard.

It comes with a price as everything does. In this case, vulnerability is the cost. Opening your heart leaves you vulnerable to countless attacks by the dark force and its allies. However, there is a way to combat even the feeling of being vulnerable. Being heard is not just about telling; it’s equally as much about listening. Listening to who, you ask? Everyone!

Your heart is a wealth of information, but it didn’t get there on its own. The information is the result of years of successes and failures that made you who you are. It’s a collection of all that has influenced you to become what you have become and now intend to pass on to others. It isn’t a bottomless barrel, though. It needs to be replenished constantly. The way to replenish it is by listening.

Everyone has a story to tell. Not everyone is a writer. They rely on you to tell their stories. Never pass up the opportunity to hear someone’s story. You never know what doors may be opened. It is hypocritical to expect a person to read your work if you aren’t willing to listen to them. You will quickly find that the most enjoyable part of being a writer is interacting with your readers. Not only is it good for publicity reasons, but it is essential for new ideas. Your readers are what made you a writer. They are also what keeps you a writer. Showing them respect by listening to them will earn their respect, and they’ll listen to you.

Listen to be heard. Public appearances are the best way to interact with your readers. It’s easy to subscribe to the notion that a public appearance isn’t a success unless you sell a certain number of books. That is the way the dark force wants you to think. Taking a step back to our theory on success “being more than monetary” begs to differ. The truth is that people buy books because of the author, not for the author.

If you are an author who writes from the heart, then your writing likely contains a good amount of insight into who you are as a person. If readers have a good feeling as to who you are as a person, that the information you are communicating is genuine, they will probably buy your book. The only way to get this information out is to interact. You have to find a way to spill it. No blurb or book cover will be able to deliver your message the way you can deliver it from your lips to their ears. In this modern age, public appearances can be made just as easy through interactive television, radio, or the internet as through a book signing, but there is no substitute for the personal touch a book signing brings to the table. Listen to your readers and they will hear you for it.

There is only one reason you write; it is to cause a reaction. Perhaps you want to make your readers cry or make them mad. Regardless of the reason, the only chance you have of getting the emotions out of them is to take those very emotions from your own heart and put them into the story. In other words, don’t write a romance if you’re not a romantic. The philosophy of “garbage in equals garbage out” could never be more true. A book is meant to transport a reader to another place. Only you know where that place is and how to get their. You have complete control. With control comes responsibility. Your reader trusts you to guide them on their journey much the same as you trust me on this journey across the sea. Your responsibility is to not let them down.

Listening to be heard helps you to know your reader’s interests and personalities. It helps with marketing, publicizing, and sales. Most important, it helps you in your writing. You don’t write a speech about heart transplants for a lecture on physics. When reading a child a bedtime story, you read the ones that appeal to them. It’s much easier to write that romance if you understand the hearts of romantics. Know your audience ahead of time. Then write with that audience in mind. An amazing connection will soon develop between your heart and theirs. You write for the reader, not because of the reader.

The responsibility for not letting your readers down falls squarely on your shoulders. You must write a complete book. That may sound ridiculous, but the fact of the matter is that many books start out with a bang and end with a bump. To truly connect with your desired audience, it’s extremely important to maintain your passion throughout the book. You had a reason for starting. Make sure the reader knows and feels it when they read the last page. Remember, they chose you to lead them on their journey. There is nothing more disappointing to a reader than to be abandoned by their author in a foreign world. Know your audience. Understand their heats. Write for them. Listen to them. They will hear you. And they will love you.

The written word is said to be knowledge. Knowledge is said to be power. The written word is the most powerful weapon mankind has ever invented. Over the centuries, it has been used time and time again for good and evil. From social values began by religious doctrines in cultural bibles to the suppression that became the dark ages to the cultural renaissance all the way to the age of technology, it has been the written word that led the way. Would Hitler have ever gained power without the written word? Would America ever have been inspired enough to go to the moon?

The writer has more influence over the way the world revolves than anyone. It is the writer that will determine where we go next as a people and as a planet. It is a heavy burden, but one that should be looked upon with honor. Though writing can be lonely, the writer is never lonely. All a writer has to do is listen to the voices during that fraction of time between dusk and nightfall. They sing the songs that unlock the mystery that is the human heart. Their songs are the writer’s guide so the writer in turn can provide them with more reasons to sing. All the writer has to do is listen, and the writer will be heard.

Our ship sails off into the night with the songs of our readers leading us through the darkness.

So let’s change course.

Now that I have your attention, and you’re thinking that the captain has just given his crew a motive for mutiny, let’s explore this option. In everyday life, you make decisions for one of two reasons; either adversity forces you to make a decision, or opportunity causes you to make a decision. No one enjoys being forced to do anything, much less make a decision that may affect your family, your career, and your long-term goals. It’s much less stressful to make a decision when there is little possibility for a negative effect should the decision prove to be a bad one.

In today’s economy, more and more people are being forced into making decisions to change course rather than electing to change course for their own benefit. For many, the storm is endless. All they want to do is survive. The calm seas that surround us seem a million miles away to them. They long for the opportunity to control their own destiny again, the same opportunity that is staring you in the face. Now is the time to evaluate the possibility of an altered course to reach your prosperous destination. Now is the time to evaluate what works and what doesn’t within your business, your personal flaws, and your strengths. Now is the time to make the solid decisions that will eventually lead to bigger opportunities and even better decisions down the road. Now is the time to let what you’ve learned sink in, discount that which doesn’t apply, and decide how to not only survive the next attack by the dark force, but to respond with a counter punch that forces the dark force to think twice the next time it sets its sights on you.

While the seas are calm, it’s easy to repair any damage. In business, some days are successful. Many are not. While negatives drag you down, a calm sea gives you the opportunity to step back and look at your business from a distance. Realize how far you’ve come despite the negatives that plague your dreams. It’s never as bad as it seems. There’s always an opening for change as long as you’re flexible enough to go through. Perhaps you’re not recovering enough of your marketing expenses. Maybe you made a fool of yourself during a particular sales pitch, but you really enjoy marketing. The accounting book says you’re under budget, generating some revenue, but not enough to yield a profit. With confidence in your business plan at an all-time high, this is the best time to change course.

You already took a giant step without even knowing it. You identified a weakness in your current course. Your marketing plan is costing too much money which is the cause of your revenue shortfall. Book stores are reluctant to carry your book because they don’t know if they can sell it. You remember that the book store’s goal is to make money just like you. They are simply the connector between you and your reader. They aren’t there to deliver a message. They aren’t there to advertise. They are there to facilitate the exchange. You are the one that has to close the deal with your readers.

Upon further analysis, the conclusion is that you aren’t generating the amount of publicity needed to sell your book which is causing anxiety in the market and within your company. This flaw in your marketing plan could grow to undercut your entire business if something isn’t done about it. That isn’t saying your marketing strategy was a failure. You built relationships and learned about the needs of your customers. You learned that publicity may not be your strength. It is time to plot a new course to account for a different marketing philosophy that centers more on generating publicity than on actual sales. Let the publicity generate the sales for you. It will take some of the burden off your bottom line and make for more restful nights.

Identifying a new course is only part of the answer, however. There are different obstacles depending on which part of the ocean you intend to cross. The North Atlantic is full of icebergs and bad weather. The tropical waters are laced with pirates and compact cyclones that can rip a weakened ship to shreds. Each course requires a different type of preparation. The decision to focus on publicity instead of sales commands you to analyze your short and long-term goals. Like the waters of the Atlantic, there are different types of publicity campaigns. You have to determine what type of publicity is need to reach your short-term goal, keeps you on course with your ultimate goal, and presents an opportunity to reverse your financial shortage. Then, you make the appropriate preparations and plot your new course.

How do you make such a determination and what kind of preparations are involved? Publicity can be generated in many ways. Newspapers, television, radio, book reviews, blogs, websites, advertising, and word-of-mouth are the most popular. Look at it like a science project. The type of publicity you seek is highly dependent on your short-term goal. Let’s assume, for arguments sake, that your long-term goal is prosperity and you subscribe to the theory that prosperity is measured by more than monetary accomplishments. That makes your long-term goal the constant. Your short-term goal is the hypothesis and publicity is the variable.

If your short-term goal is to sell five hundred books, you don’t need a national publicity campaign. You can focus on local channels such as newspapers, radio, websites, etc. This is relatively inexpensive and the result may allow you to reach your short-term goal. If you want to devote the time, you can attempt to generate this publicity yourself. I emphasize devote because generating publicity yourself can be a slow, agonizing process. It demands an extraordinary amount of patience and follow-up work. It takes time away from your writing, marketing, and business management. While the financial risk is low which helps your bottom line, your short-term sales may suffer because you are taking the time away from selling, thus hurting your bottom line. The result ends up being a wash which doesn’t help move you toward prosperity.

If your-short term goal is more ambitious, you might consider a publicist. Publicists have access to the connections needed to reach newspapers, television, and radio stations. Many even have internet publicity programs. If you have a well-designed website, this is extremely beneficial. How hiring a publicist affects your bottom line largely falls on your shoulders. A publicist is paid to get you publicity, not sell your book. Your marketing campaign should be revamped to incorporate the new publicity campaign. You still shoulder the burden of selling, but when a book store owner asks what you’re doing to publicize your book, and you have a clear-cut answer, chances are they’ll add your book to their inventory because they won’t see it as such a liability. Hiring a publicist also frees up your time for writing and business dealings which gives you more of a sense of control. Unfortunately, there is a downside. Publicists require a capital investment. Like any other investment, there is no guarantee for a return.

Either scenario involves risk. The degree of risk depends on where you intend to go. If simply evening out the accounting ledger is your goal, you may want to publicize yourself. There’s less risk, but little chance for growing your company. Your course alteration is minor and safer, but you forfeit time used for writing and selling in favor of time used to generate publicity. If you want your company to grow, an experienced publicist is an alternative. The risk is greater as is the chance for reward. You can spend more time writing, and any publicity generated adds to your ability to sell books. It’s a gamble, but so was going into business for yourself. Your course alteration would be greater, but the sights along the way may be more memorable. Regardless of your choice, the time to make the course adjustment is now, while there’s time to evaluate, prepare, and make a sound business decision.

The ability to change course is a luxury successful business owners have that allows them to thrive in a competitive environment. Course changes shouldn’t be made in the heat of battle. A good business person evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of his venture, then plots a new course to address the weaknesses while keeping the long-term goal constant. Flexibility is a huge asset for a writer and a business person. The realization that the only part of your voyage that is set is the destination opens an array of possible courses, each of which is ever-changing. Today, our course trended toward publicity. Who knows where we’re going tomorrow. Enjoy the ride!

Ambition is vital to achieving any goal you set for yourself in life no matter what the circumstances may be. Ambition translates to determination which is what keeps you from quitting when the going gets tough. Ambition can also work against you in many of the same ways. A fireman who charges into a burning building can be viewed as heroic or suicidal. It all depends on the outcome, and the outcome is usually decided in the beginning. Did he go in with a plan or did he rush in with only hope to guide him? A zoo keeper never hurries to interact with the new tiger that just arrived at the zoo. He introduces himself to the tiger in stages, builds trust, and eventually is able to interact. Pacing yourself is critical for many reasons.

Pacing yourself allows for accumulation of the necessary knowledge you need to interact with the business side of writing. Knowledge doesn’t just come from books and articles you downloaded on-line. Knowledge comes from the relationships you build (or fail to build). Knowledge comes with each sale or rejection. Knowledge comes from your readers, your critics, and the media. Knowledge comes from everywhere, and you have to be like a sponge and absorb it. The only way this is possible is by pacing yourself. Knowledge equals growth. A steady pace facilitates your growth as a writer and as a business person.

Like the firefighter and zoo keeper, the pace of your journey requires a plan. You should generate a business plan as soon as you decide to embark on your journey. The business plan should consist of attainable short-term goals as well as long-term goals. It’s worth repeating, attainable goals! This is where you may have to tuck your ambitions away for a while. This is also where it’s so important to keep yourself grounded in reality.

A business can take years to turn a profit, and an author can take longer to become recognized. These facts must be taken into account when developing your plan. A goal doesn’t have to be monetary. For instance, a first-year goal might be to build a strong client base of independent book stores. Each short-term goal is a stepping stone toward a long-term goal. Short-term goals will change as you grow, accumulate knowledge, and build relationships, but long-term goals remain unchanged. Like the wind from the storm, your pace may speed up and slow down at times, but the average should be a gentle, steady breeze.

Rarely does a breeze blow unhindered. So, will it be for you. The storm that currently beats against our sails is only one of the many obstacles that the dark force will use to throw us off course once it comes to the realization it underestimated the strength of our ship. In your new career, there will be many setbacks. There will be times when goals go unachieved. There may be periods of financial hardship, emotional stress, and frustration. Each time you hear the word, “no,” you might question yourself or your decisions. It’s the human thing to do, and it’s the right thing. Maintain your course! Adjustments are always necessary as long as the overall direction never changes. Stick to your decisions. It shows that you believe in yourself, and believing in yourself is the biggest advantage you have over the dark force. Believing in yourself sparks confidence which feeds your ego, inspires will and determination, and creates ambition. Soon, the storm that once was meant to sink your ship becomes the very fuel that steers it. It was all made possible by a trait the dark force can only dream of having…patience.

Nothing worthwhile happens rapidly. In nature, the hurricane is the most powerful force on the planet. It spins up slowly, growing from a central point outward into a well-organized entity. Your writing career should be no different. A gradual pace instills patience because as you gain more knowledge, you will understand the business from its many angles. The book store owner sees the industry far different than the mass market publisher. Putting yourself in their shoes not only helps with business decisions, but it teaches patience.

Patience is as much a benefit to you personally as it is to your career. Patiently executing your plan helps to keep your focus on matters that you can control instead of spinning off on tangents that you can’t. Stress and frustration are powerful allies of the dark force. Patience is your counter punch. That’s not to say never try a new idea. Creativity and innovation is essential to generating excitement in business. For example, you want to generate publicity by doing something charitable for your community. You would benefit and so would the community. However, when you approach the organization, they politely turn you away. At this point, move on. Never waste someone else’s time (and yours) by trying to convince them that they’re wrong and you’re right. This goes back to remembering your role. Those who turn you away today will welcome you with open arms once you establish a reputation. The ability to move on and not dwell calms your nerves so you can get back on track. It’s all about patience.

A sound plan is a map you should always revert back to. In fact, it’s a security blanket. It’s more than a path for the future. It’s also a record of the past. It’s very easy to get caught up in the negatives of the business world. It’s said that you can do a hundred good deeds, but the one bad thing you do is what everyone talks about. In business, a solid month can be overshadowed by string of bad days. It’s easy, even natural, to want to remedy that which went wrong. In such cases, patience has to be combined with discipline to fight such temptation. Re-focus on everything that went right, and suddenly what went wrong will become minuscule. It transforms from a crisis to a simple learning experience.

Through it all, it’s important to distinguish between patience and persistence. The breeze may be hindered from time to time, but it is never subdued. Persistence is necessary if you have hopes of anyone taking you seriously as long as you don’t cross the line from persistent to arrogant or even a nuisance. By combining knowledge with moderate level of persistence, you gain respect because you portray confidence in yourself, your product, and your business. Confidence is contagious, and without even realizing it, you are building key relationships, feeding the storm that pushes you farther on your voyage. And your doing it with patience!

The path will not be straight. It will be filled with the highs and lows that make each day unique. Your business plan is a collection of opportunities achieved and those lost. It is a wealth of knowledge. It captures every step of your career as you mature as a writer and a business person. It serves as a portrait of your ambitions from yesterday and a sketch for those of tomorrow. It’s a constant reminder of the patience it takes to succeed and the persistence it takes to be taken seriously. It is the blue-print for building the foundation of a successful career. Most important, it is guide to the destination known as prosperity.

Like happiness, prosperity doesn’t have to be monetary. While financial security is something everyone strives for, and likely the reason you’re on the voyage in the first place, prosperity through the eyes of the writer is often far more than money can buy. A writer influences people like no one else. Through a writer’s words, he can burn images into the minds of the reader that are permanent. Writer’s have shaped and recorded history for thousands of years. Becoming a writer is as close to being immortal as a human being can ever get. From the Dead Sea Scrolls to Shakespeare to Steven King, what greater honor is there than to have your words play a role in the lives of generations to come. When it seems the storm will never end, look at your career through the writer’s eyes, and the storm will soon pass.

The squall currently blasting our ship seems endless because the dark force is angry that he failed. We quickly learn that it’s not endless. Eventually, the squall fades, and the dark force regroups. Our voyage continues at a steady pace, patiently, toward prosperity. As the squall departs, the sun re-emerges on the horizon. It’s a quiet time dominated by the peacefulness of the sea and the security of its grasp. The question in our minds is what to do next? We’ve overcome the first challenge. We’re exhausted, and our very nature begs us to let down our guard to soak in the tranquility. This is no time for celebration, however. This is our opportunity to fortify our ship and gain an advantage over the dark force so his next storm will be no more than a minor inconvenience.

The difference between perception and reality is a test that every writer must pass in order to reach his or her ultimate goal. In our case, the perception of the object in our path was different for each of us because we each offer a different point of view of the world around us. We all lead different lives. We’re affected by events differently. Some see the glass as half empty while others see it as half full. Our perspective is directly related to who we are and how we think. Our decisions are based upon our perspective. Some may alter their course to investigate the object. Some may alter their course to avoid it. Many will maintain the same course and let fate decide. The point is that your interpretation of the writer’s world has a tremendous affect on your course. The dark force wants to distort your perception. It’s your responsibility to forbid it from doing so.

Many of the examples given in the discussion regarding “fear” work equally well as examples of perception versus reality. The most common example, however, goes directly to the heart of why you became a writer in the first place. Your perception is that everyone will want to read your book. You’ll establish great relationships with all the major distributors who will put your book in every bookstore known to mankind. Hollywood will be calling at all hours for the movie rights, and you’ll join Dan Brown and Stephen King on the list of 21st century author legends. It’s a great and an important dream because it likely provides you with the inspiration to keep writing. Unfortunately, it’s also severely flawed. The reality is you will write a best-selling novel (in your own mind). No one will care except for a few close friends and a family member or two. Distributors and bookstore owners will be too busy to meet with you. The phone will never ring. You will go about you life dreaming about what could have been and perhaps give up. You may even develop a grudge against a very formidable ally of the dark force, the publishing industry itself.

Developing a grudge against the industry may sound contradictory considering that you’re on the voyage of writing as a business, but it’s easy to fall into such a trap. Whenever you are deceived by someone, you often develop a grudge against that person. It’s no different here. The publishing business is filled with deceit. The dark force uses human nature against you hoping you’ll quit. Everyone is trying to make money, and will use whatever means necessary to do so. What the dark force doesn’t want you to know is that deceit is only a perception. You perceive that you were deceived because someone you were attempting to do business with promised you one thing and failed to deliver costing you valuable time and money. The reality is that you allowed yourself to be deceived by not preparing properly. You must be sure all the bases are covered before you deliver the pitch! The dark force is looking for any opening. Grudges, frustration, and deceit are not given to you by your enemies. They come from within you. Only you can keep them locked away so they don’t become weapons for the dark force and its ally.

Perception versus Reality is a war that begins as soon as you enter the storm. Wars are made up of many battles. The first step to winning a battle is not to blind yourself with a false sense of reality. The publishing industry is not your friend. It doesn’t care if you succeed or fail. It’s been around for hundreds of years and will be around long after you’re gone. Understand that you are a speck in a constellation of millions trying to stand out. Once you grasp that concept, you’re ready to enter the storm. If you pretend to be more than you are, you will end up at the bottom of the sea.

One battle you’ll face is the perception that you have to write the perfect novel. This never happens. It can always be better. No matter how many times you edit your work, you’ll always find something that needs to be amended. Not only does this keep you from ever finishing, it may frustrate you to the point you may not even want to finish. That’s not to say don’t edit. Just don’t edit to the point of obsession. Once you allow your heart to be taken out of the battle, you have no chance of winning it. Give your work to a professional to edit, not a family member or friend. It will cost money, but you’re in a business. You have to spend money to make money. More importantly, listen to your editor. Don’t allow pride to cloud your judgment. If more research is needed, then do it, but also understand that there comes a point when you have to go with what you have. If you have written a book in which you’ve appeased your audience, you’ve won the battle.

Another battle you’ll likely face is the perception that people will buy your book. Notice I highlighted the word buy. The reality of this battle is you will probably have a large number of people like your book and very few of those (including friends who have told you a dozen times they can’t wait to buy your book) actually buy it. Here is where understanding human nature can pay enormous dividends and save a little frustration as well. There is a tremendous difference between what people say and what they do. This includes friends and relatives. Don’t have the perception that all your friends are going to rush to your website, the bookstore, or wherever. It just won’t happen. Instead, come up with a much broader marketing plan, which takes us to a third battle.

Marketing is the most grueling battle in the war between perception and reality, and it’s where the outcome will be determined. The perception is that you have a good product that you’re sure will be competitive in bookstores. There’s just no way Barnes and Noble can resist my book! The cover itself screams, “Read Me!” The mistake here is confusing the more personal side of your business (writing the book) with the business side (selling the book). Learn about your potential client before you try to sell them anything. Again, cover all the bases. Barnes and Noble stocks over a million books and only a fraction of those make it into their stores. There is a lengthy review process for new books. To deceive yourself by believing such a major chain will take you seriously sets the stage for disappointment which goes back to understanding your size, your roll, and not pretending to be more than you are.

Within the marketing battle, there are smaller, individual battles to overcome. In order to become a force in the industry so that retail giants do know who you are, you have to build a reputation. To build a reputation, you need publicity. Spend some time soliciting the smaller independent books stores instead of larger chains. Believe it or not, there are some still out there that survived the onslaught by the giant retailers. Independent bookstore owners will be more receptive to your solicitations. Arrange meetings with owners so not only do they see your product, they get a feel for you. Many small bookstores aren’t used to getting personal attention. If you make an impression, they’ll probably be willing to give you a break. Keep your battles winnable. Shoot for a series of victories. By marketing this way, you accomplish a couple of things. You get used to being in public (which is no small challenge) and you begin to get to know the people that work in the bookstores, many of whom have been in the business before the retail giants came to exist. Bookstore owners are full of valuable information that can open doors to opportunities you never knew existed. A handful may have connections to the media that can be a huge asset.

The dark force will devote a lot of attention to the marketing battle, as will we as get further into our voyage. It will paint a series of perceptions with your wallet as its target. The perceptions that attending book fairs, signings, and other events will help sell your book is one you’re sure to encounter. The reality is that these events siphon money away and give little in return if not managed properly. The unfortunate thing about the marketing battle is that you have to fight on the dark force’s turf. You can’t shy away from signings and public appearances because they’re essential to generating additional publicity.

The perception that you’ll show up to a signing and immediately begin selling books is a fallacy. In fact, you may get more funny looks than anything else as browsers try to figure out who you are. Most will be afraid to approach you. Reality tells you that you need publicity in order to generate publicity. It’s a vicious cycle that we’ll talk more about in the future. In the beginning, select signings and appearances wisely to maximize your exposure and sales opportunities. Attempt to link them to community events if possible. You might have to start reading a chapter over the microphone to draw an interest. It can be stressful. If you’re only going to sell a few books and there’s little opportunity to generate publicity, you won’t make up for your travel expenses. Those signings aren’t worth the effort from a business point of view.

The perception that your book will sell better by you being there is false as well. The reality is especially pertinent in the beginning regardless of the amount of publicity you get. You are the one who has to sell your book. Strangers won’t buy it unless you give them a reason to buy it whether you do it in person or by some other means. Public appearances are an opportunity to go deeper into the material with a prospective customer only if you can figure out a way to draw an interest. Your goal is to get your book into the public eye where word of mouth becomes your strongest marketing tool. The only person that can make this happen is you.

Understand the nature of the business in which you’re becoming a part. The publishing industry is much like a stone; it’s lifeless, but capable of inflicting a lot of damage. Fortunately, the stone can’t inflict damage on its own. It needs help. The dark force has appointed you as the one who controls the stone because the dark force knows you are your own worst enemy. By going into each battle you face with the proper perspective, the realities won’t seem as harsh when the battles are done. Know yourself. Keep in mind the reality of human nature. In marketing, know the needs of the wholesalers and the bookstore owners. Remember, you’re a writer, but bookselling is a business. If your clients aren’t successful, you won’t be successful. Don’t try to be more than you are. Stephen King wasn’t always a household name. He was once a star trying to stand out like you. Winning a battle doesn’t win you the war of perspective versus reality, nor will losing one cause you to lose it. The trick is to accumulate enough victories so that someone takes notice. Pace yourself. If you try to accomplish too much at once, you risk accomplishing nothing. That is reality.

We’ve identified the object ahead as another ship in our path. It disappears into a sheet of heavy rain. Being the determined and patient business people we are we will maintain our course. We know the perception ahead is one of danger, but we also know the reality ahead may be much different. As we grow closer to the squall, the wind and seas pick up. Our ship rocks wildly from side to side. The first drops of rain pelt the sails. I give the order to maintain our speed despite the anticipation racing throughout the ship. We want to know what the mysterious ship’s intentions are. We want the answer before we’re close enough to ask the question. The rain begins to soak our ship sending a river of water from the bow to stern. Everyone heads below deck for safety. Pace, Patience, and Prosperity will play a vital role in our voyage the deeper into the squall we get and beyond…

In the beginning, I’ll share my personal experiences as a self-published author. Then, we’ll travel into the far reaches of an oceanic world defined by intimidation and revenue. I call it the world of writing, and it’s here that you’ll get a better understanding of the very competitive publishing industry. We’ll journey through the many different aspects of the business as well as the psychological side which is often where success is determined. All of us possess an ability to write, but marketing is what it’s all about. We’ll spend a lot of time traveling the high and low tides of marketing. Since this is a progressive journey, you will learn as I learn. I’ll relate the world from whence I came to you, but we’ll travel the rest of the way together; maybe we even avoid a storm or two. Come with me now on the voyage of writing as a business. Let’s set sail. Nothing will happen while the ship remains in port.

Before we begin our journey, there are a few details I’d like you to know about me that inspired this adventure. I was born in Tampa, Florida in 1972. I survived ALL Leukemia in 1979. Some people considered it a miracle, but I saw it as a message that I have a role to play in this world. The key was to find out what that role is. I discovered my talent for writing in high school nearly a decade later. My first book, titled Waldenlake, was published through a subsidy publisher in 1995. It wasn’t a very successful venture. Over the next decade I learned Waldenlake’s lack of success had as much to do with my lackadaisical attitude as it did with the publisher itself. I began a new journey in 2002, the very journey on which I’ve invited you to join me. The time has come to get on board. The lines are about to be released. Soon, we’ll be traversing the tame harbor waters toward the open sea.

I’m using an oceanic voyage as an analogy because I believe it best represents the world of writing. While the ship is in the harbor, it’s protected. Sure, the water can become choppy at times, but there’s little chance of disaster. That comes later as we travel into the reaches of the unknown. The opportunity to turn back exists while the ship is in the harbor. The safety of the wharf is still within sight. However, it’s in these protected waters where the most important decision that you make as a writer occurs. That decision is whether to make writing your career or simply a hobby.

If you decide the latter, it’s best to stay in the harbor and enjoy your decision to the fullest. Share your work with as many people as possible. More importantly, love your life. Choose to do what you love. That’s what life is all about. It’s too short to waste. The sea will always be there if you change your mind. To venture beyond the harbor at this stage may very well seal your fate as a writer. Don’t be hasty. The sea is not kind to those who aren’t prepared. To take on the open ocean, a writer must possess relentless resolve, unmatched passion, and iron-like mental toughness. It’s a grueling and consuming task. Be warned. I’m not exaggerating.

For those who choose to continue, we’re nearing the edge of the harbor. It’s not too late to change your mind, but the decision to make writing your life must be an all or nothing decision. Either you give it your all or you don’t do it at all. If you’re the slightest bit unsure, you’ve made the wrong decision. In order to reap the benefit’s the writing world has to offer, you’re required to offer it something in return. In the short term you have to sacrifice time, money, and navigate through the positives and negatives that will certainly stand in your way. Great news is usually accompanied by not-so-great news. Like the seas, the world of writing is full of crests and troughs. If you expect too much, you’ll be disappointed; too little, and you cut yourself short. It’s about finding a balance while staying on course, but remaining vigilant all the while because the sense of balance changes the farther from land you get. You must be prepared to change your mindset with it. Commit yourself to being a writer at all costs. Failure is not an option. When you put yourself into that state of mind, you’re ready to leave the harbor.

By committing yourself to achieving success, you will eventually attain success. Success has a broad definition that is different for all of us. To some, success is monetary. For others, it’s tied to emotion. Determine what you think will make you successful. Once you do that, you accomplish an important step; you set a goal. In the case of our analogy, we set a destination. Goals are essential to running a business much like destinations are necessary for a journey. In order to attain a certain goal or reach your destination, you make an adjustment to your course. In the case of you, the writer, your adjustment is that you have to become a business person.

The adjustment can be difficult, but it’s crucial. To this point, your world revolved around writing. You could escape into a foreign land for as long as you wanted and return to the stability of reality at will. Unfortunately, the writing world doesn’t revolve around the world that you‘ve created for yourself or your writing. The writing world revolves around selling books; to put it blatantly, that means making money. Writing is a business, and your only choice is to accept it.

To incorporate this new aspect of writing into your world, you must establish a boundary between the two and learn to cross between them while maintaining your creative edge. It’s challenging, but in reality it boils down to your perspective. If you see it as an obstacle to reaching your goal, you may struggle. Instead, I recommend treating the business side of writing as an avenue for inspiration. Use the time you spend dealing with commerce as down-time from writing. You’ll find it does wonders with the arch-enemy known as writer’s block. The point I’m making is that it’s essential that you understand that the writing world is every bit as much about selling as it is about producing good writing. It’s a mindset you must realize if you have any hope of reaching your goal.

You made the decision to set sail! You decided that you want to make writing a career and are willing to incorporate the business of writing into your life. What’s next? The answer to that question is all too easy. Our ship passes the lighthouse protected by a ring of jagged rocks marking the mouth of the harbor. We look back and see the outline of the port. We look to the horizon with enthusiasm. What we see is not what we expected, an endless, angry ocean with daunting storm clouds in the distance. A terrible sensation sends riveting charges up and down our spine. Enthusiasm changes to dread. Our stomachs are hollow while our hearts race. The dark part of the writer’s world has found us. It has already sunk many writers’ hopes and turned others back to port. We get our first taste of its awesome power. Today, the weapon it uses against us is fear. The answer to our question is that we must conquer it. Remember, failure is not an option.