Support and Respect

I know first-hand how difficult the whole publishing/marketing process can be. Once you step out into the free fall world of marketing, you quickly realize that it’s most definitely a long term project. Some of it feels rather mundane, doing the same thing every day, without seeing the results. A lot of effort is put into blog tours, live guest appearances, organizing and strategizing as well as writing our next book. Time is short, and taking a break isn’t really an option, because we can be so quickly forgotten.

Supporting fellow authors is something I believe in.  Most of the authors I have come across willingly do so as well, creating quite a community. Because I know how much work goes into creating a book, I appreciate the support I receive from my fellow authors. However, this mutual support can sometimes put one’s moral convictions on the line.

playmge.com

Personally, I neither read nor write horror, thrillers, or explicit romance, so never mind erotica. Over the past year, I have had the pleasure of meeting countless authors, some with whom I have become close to. Did their style of writing affect my choice? No, because I interact with the person, and I have made some amazing friends. So what’s the problem?

To be honest, and it’s not just because I write YA, I am not comfortable with their choice of genre. I am willing to support them by LIKEing their fb pages and joining their blogs, tweeting their good news and even posting on my ‘good news’ tab, but I become uncomfortable when it comes to promoting their work, having them on for a guest post or interview on my blog.

I was mortified the other day when a friend asked about me having LIKEd a particular author page…because I had been going down a list, clicking LIKE and never noticed that John Doe’s page was actually John Doe’s erotica page. Now I was torn, I didn’t want to UNLIKE his page, but I was not comfortable having it listed. Fortunately, it wasn’t my book page that had liked it, so my target audience is not subject to this. What did I do? I removed access to my LIKEs and preferences. So it’s a win/win situation. At least I hope so.

As an author, I can use all the support I can get and I definitely want to give it back. But I want to do it in a way that won’t make me uncomfortable, and won’t go against my personal values.  

There have been a few authors on my blog whose books I will never read. That does not mean I do not want to help give them a boost, or a little visibility from my corner of the world. Maybe I need to step out of my comfort zone, just a little, but I need to do it in a way that is respectful of my audience, and my personal values.

I will continue to support my fellow authors, join groups, tweet and share their news and events, but I do so with a little more attention, and a lot more intention. I want to see us all succeed, and I want to enjoy the celebration when it happens. Hope you will be there to join in as well.

Do You Support Your Author?

If I hear one more person tell my I should be cleaning instead of at the computer, or playing with my daughter instead of typing, or cooking instead of writing…well you get the impression. I’m gonna scream!

I do play with my daughter, yes, I know she just spilled her legos across the floor. No, I just put the dogs out. Yes, supper is on its way.  Hold on, I need to polish my boots and get into my uniform so I won’t be late. The fish are hungry and the bird needs water. I made supper for my husband and put the baby to bed. Somehow, and somewhere in between I have written a book which I am now up to my eyeballs marketing. I am half-way through another book while finishing the first draft of yet another for a writing course.

Do I get any help? No. Do I get any encouragement? No. I get, “I think you should vacuum” and “what’s for dinner?”

Do I need to blog, tweet, facebook and have a website? Well, if I don’t tell people about all my hard work, how will they know?

Do YOU want to make my facebook page, write my blog post, review a book or develop my media platform? Do you want to follow up and follow through on these things for me?

If I knew half of what was involved in ‘writing a book’, I’m not sure I would have gotten into it. It is overwhelming at times (to say the least) and I am not a computer IT person, so dealing with blogs and websites are exhausting.

Any author can tell you that there is so much more to writing and marketing a book than you could possibly imagine. So, if you are a full time worker, parent, spouse, or student, who is stealing minutes to write, good for you. If your book has just been published and you are at the foot of Mount Marketing, you are not alone. Here, and amongst the many authors walking the same rocky road, a multitude of information and support can be found. Don’t give up. It’s OK to stop for a breath once in a while, and it’s OK to rant and even cry, because you are not alone.

As for non-author friends and family, give us a break, and If you don’t have anything nice to say… don’t say nothing at all. (Thumper, in Bambi)

People won’t flock to our doorstep or website just because we ‘wrote a book’. We have to get it out there. We have to spend hours in the middle of the night writing and marketing, to avoid disrupting your schedule…so give us a break, and even a hug.

Support your local mom-author, husband-author, friend-author…

You get the picture. ;o)