Why I Write: You Are What You Make Yourself

Have you ever heard the saying all publicity is good publicity? There’s truth to that. If you’re an artist or writer, you obviously don’t want bad publicity. You don’t want people going on the internet and saying your work is terrible. That’s extremely hard to come back from. Erasing an online footprint is near impossible these days.

But…..

It’s important not to reach for the stars right away. The odds are slim you’re going to get an author profile in Publisher’s Weekly or Writer’s Digest, especially if you’re self-published.

Start small and build your way up to those magazines. Start by looking up popular review blogs or asking friends and family to judge your work honestly. Share your work on social media and see who responds. Remember, there will always be trolls, it’s important not to let this get to you. Not everyone will like your work. I happened to muster up a few bad reviews in my day, it bothered me, but then I stopped caring. How did I do that? I looked up some of the greatest novels of all time on Goodreads and read the reviews people gave. People actually had the audacity to take the time out of their day and find what was wrong with some of the greatest novels in history.

Go figure huh?

What I’ve learned from sharing my work on social media is that you never know who’s listening. It pays off to invest in yourself. A big part of my success was my decision to invest in Facebook marketing. I sold around 800 copies of my book (combined ebook and paperback) in a month. I didn’t hire an advertising agency and I didn’t pull my hair out trying to query agents, I took matters into my own hands. That’s because I believe in my work and I believe in my brand.

When you believe in your heart and in your gut that what you have is good, then it probably is. It’s not in your head. You’re not lying to yourself. Don’t let anyone tell you that there isn’t an audience for your work. Don’t let anyone tell you that your art is not art. You’re the maker of your own destiny.

There’s an audience for every story, you just have to reach that audience. In the era of social media, the world is at your feet.