In the past several years I've had the pleasure of attending a couple conferences more than once (others I've attended only once). What I like so much about going to the same conference year after year is that I get to build relationships and face-to-name recognition with some of the return conferees. I get to see their progress. I get to hear wonderful updates. I also get to hear the same stories I heard the year before: "I know I said I was going to have my blog up and running, but..." "I know I said I was going to start to speak, but..." "Is it OK for me to still send you my manuscript?" Yes, of course, but I thought I was going to see something last year. What happened?
For some of them, I could not imagine living through what happened to them between conferences. Some stories break my heart. If this is how this last season has been for you, this post is not necessarily for you. You have to take stock of who you really are at the core and what your season is speaking to you about the timing of your efforts. It is definitely not my purpose in this post to move you in one direction or the other on that front.
For the rest of us who know there are no more excuses, let's get to work!
- Read the book
- Take the class
- Join the group
- Writers group
- Critique group
- Hire the professional
- Start the blog
- Get social
- Facebook page or Twitter account
- Rally a community
- Start a movement
- Tap your network
- Speaking engagements or counseling/consulting opps
- Wise counsel
- Take the advice
- To change directions on the book--more defined audience, from testimonial to teaching
- To scrap this book idea and start over (especially if its your first book, you've been shopping it to every editor and agent at the conferences and no one has a place for it. Let go of the rejection and grief and start again with the new knowledge you've gained. I see writers return to the same conference year after year with the same manuscript in the same place, no new platform, but they come and see me to see if I have any new interest in what they've shown me before. But there is nothing different to cause me to think differently.)
- Make the paradigm shift and get in gear
- Just do it
You've been sitting on the plan. You know what to do.
Talk is cheap. Walk it out.
There is no better time than now. Determine that you will show up to the next conference or life coach meeting with more of your publishing to-do list conquered. Prove to yourself that can take this dream by the horns and make it happen. Silence the naysayers, even if one of them is you.
I hope to see you at the next conference with that not-to-be-shaken, accomplished look. I hope that I will see the proposal or manuscript in my inbox you promised me last year. Stir up that fire and press the accelerator. You can do it!