Waiting...

Okay, so I sent a ton of email queries to literary agents and publishers. Now the waiting begins. So, what to do in the meantime? Well, for starters, expand the queries. Search for more publishers and literary agents and stack the odds in my favor. After all, publishing is a numbers game. Also, continue to develop my personal brand and market myself via social media. A friend of mine in the video industry gave me some great pointers for making videos. First, grab the viewer in the first ten seconds. In other words, who am I, and why am I making this? Second, forget polished. Too many people are trying to make a polished videos today, which means my videos won't standout from the crowd. Three, forget the sales pitch. Lead into the product and/or service and your reason for it and fade to black. Generate curiosity.

Publishing is all about volume, not content. Publishers want to sell books, and what sells books? YOU! You are your own unique brand and have an original story because it belongs to you. Sure, it might be similar to someone else's story, but in the end it belongs to you, so own it. Practice telling it in a way that connects with others. What are the highlights and milestones of your life? Why? What makes those events distinct from others? People want to hear stories about beating the odds and personal achievement. Remember, everyone wants to succeed in their own way. Some people want to lose weight and get in shape. Others have their sights set on making it to the top of an organization. Success is integrally linked to achievement and overcoming adversity. That adversity exists because it takes work to become successful, and that work involves surmounting obstacles. The difference between success and excuses is overcoming that which appears insurmountable, and that's where your story comes in. What obstacles were in your way?

People have seen the road less traveled and have never taken it. They want to know where it leads, and if you've been down that road, they want to hear your story. Stop and look back at where you've been, what you've overcome, and what you've achieved. Practice telling that story and begin to develop your brand because you are going to need it when a publisher agrees to publish your book. The publisher is counting on your story to sell your books, not your book's content, so learn how to tell it in a way that connects with others.