Friday, September 9, 2011

Taking Control

Hi all! Today I welcome Jolene Stockman, who'll be talking about how writers can control some aspects of their lives. She's also here to plug her new book, Total Blueprint for World Domination. Take it away, Jolene!





Thank you so much for hosting me (and my first guest post) Misha! When doubt starts niggling, I like to remind myself of the things that I can do something about. I hope your readers relate :)


Taking control!

Author Jolene Stockman
You may not be able to decide who will buy or like your book, but there are some things you can control.

Your book
From the second you make the decision to write, you are in charge! You choose the genre, the word count, the content, the editing, and (if you are self-published) the cover, too. Even changes your agent and editor suggest are ultimately up to you. Your book is a fingerprint on the world, and it is absolutely your creation.

Your promotion
Facebook? Twitter? Goodreads? You choose! The amount of time, energy, and you that goes into your promotion is your choice. Forget what you could be doing, what you should be doing, or what everyone else is doing. Do what feels right for you! As Nathan Bransford says, “The next big thing is never like the last big thing.”

Your responses
An anonymous interwebber tweets you. They review your book, your baby. They call it rubbish. Crap. Badly formatted, hideously worded, error-filled-ugly-covered crap. And they do it with spelling that would disappoint a first grader. Prepare yourself. Once your work is published, it belongs to the world. Your response? Thank you. Thank you for taking the time to not only read my book, but to share your thoughts. You don’t have to correct, complain, or justify. Yes, the reviewer might be completely wrong. They might be mistaken, out of line, and all kinds of mean. (Or they might be the only person brave enough to tell you the truth..!) Either way, when someone spends money, time, and energy on you – it is awesome! One review is one review. A tweet is gone tomorrow. But the way you respond reflects on you, and a rant can reek forever.

Your intentions
Your goals are what you do, but your intentions are how you do it. You get to present yourself with professionalism, humor, warmth, and optimism (or not!) You get to choose what you put out in the world. You may get rejected, but you get to choose the agents you query, the groups you join and the writers you support. And as for who you link up with, and where you hang out? That’s right: all yours. Decide how you want to be in the world, and who you want to connect with. Because over time your intentions become who you are.

Your attitude
Chances are, even your favorite author has had some scathing reviews. Some rejection. Some slow sale days. Do you hear them going off about it? Whining? Grizzling? Nope. They’re busy. Writing. Being a writer is a dream. It’s a top-of-the-bucket list, thing-to-do-before-I-die, can’t-believe-I-get-to-see-it-on-a-bookshelf dream. You are doing something that people aspire to. Even when the blank page is taunting you. Even when the twenty-third rejection rolls in. Even when you’re squishing rewrites in with a million other things. You are part of something amazing. Feel that with all your heart. Know that it’s true no matter what. You are a writer. You may not be able to control who reads or likes what you write, but you can choose your words, your attitude, and your intention. Grab hold! Take control of what you can, and let the rest go. Seriously. Focus on what matters – having fun, creating the world you want, and writing your amazing next book! (I can’t wait to read it!)
Jolene Stockman’s book Total Blueprint for World Domination takes you from this very moment to your greatest dream. Plot a step-by-step plan for world domination!
You can find Jolene on her blog, as well as Twitter, and Facebook.

14 comments:

  1. Wonderful post. Thanks!

    And I love your title. Awesome.

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  2. Great post and even greater tips! Thank you for sharing! :)

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  3. Great post and fabulous tips, thanks Jolene. I love the title of your book! Thanks for having Jolene as your guest, Misha.

    I wanted to let you know too that I gave you an award on my blog.

    http://julieflanders.blogspot.com/2011/09/awards-round-up-and-overdue-thanks.html

    Have a great weekend! :)

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  4. Great post!

    Being in charge is exciting, but at the same time terrifying!

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  5. I'm glad I stopped by today. Inspiring post. Thanks!

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  6. Eeeeeeee! This is so cool! Thank you for all the awesome feedback :)

    You're right @Caitlin - being in control is a delicious mix of exciting and terrifying!!!! (Bring it on, right?)

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  7. Great post, and I love the title of the book. Very cool.

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  8. :-) I think social networking is great preparation for being published - if you're on Twitter or FB, you soon learn to cope with the occasional mean-spirited or critical stranger. Thanking them for their time and not engaging any further - well, that shows you in a gracious and mature light. One of the best pieces of advice I've read!

    BTW, Misha, glad to see you signed up for the Rule Of Three blogfest - very cool!

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  9. You guys rock!

    I love: "there might be a grain of truth in even the most scathing of reviews. You also just can't please everyone."

    It's finding that balance between being wise, and protecting your heart!

    Thanks again for hosting me Misha, you have been so kind, and your readers are awesome!

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  10. Love your take on promotion, and your attitude in general. Even without reading the book, I want every teenager to pick it up and soak in your charm!

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  11. Teehee, thanks Alana! That is so super nice of you to say :) (And I love the idea of soaking up charm!)

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  12. This is nice post and awesome tips showed here,
    Thanks to share this wonderful information.

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