This is not just my optimism talking, folks. I am seeing publishing promise in action.
And it’s not just infinite creativity & prosperity for me; it’s infinite creativity & prosperity for any writer who wants to go for it.
However this vision does not look much like the old model of publishing.
It looks more like a new type of author, a type of author who isn’t “all author.”
And there is no publishing “house.” Publishing has moved “in-house.” And by that I mean it has moved to your house.
It looks like a type of author who plays harder than she works, who lets creativity lead, and who knows and maximizes her strengths, while addressing her weaknesses has a publishing house right in her house…if she wants it.
If this sounds familiar than you probably were in attendance at the Writer’s Digest 2012 Conference in New York, AWP 2012 Chicago, Mad Anthony 2012 in Ohio, or the Missouri Writers Guild Conference in Missouri. You heard me verbally kicking all the writers in attendance in the butt while simultaneously inviting them to wake up from the fantasy of getting discovered.
You have probably read all about this type of “empowered writer” in all of my books from Writer Mama to Get Known to Author Mama to The Writer’s Workout to Build Your Author Platform.
If you know my work, then you know exactly what I’m talking about because you have likely experienced the magic of getting in touch with your creative instincts and training that horse until you can ride it to publishing success.
I know empowered writers are out there, because I hear from you every single day. You are my students, my former students, my dream team members, my readers, attendees of my author series, and members of audiences where I have recently taught or trained.
You listened to what I said. You did the things I asked you to do. And you are seeing results. You are changing, you are growing, you are taking charge.
You are embracing your power in a humble way.
This professional empowerment is causing you to pay better attention to your instincts. And now you trust your instincts and follow them. And they are leading you to exciting places of creative expansion and prosperous growth.
Not that empowered writers don’t have any down days. Of course we do. That’s just part of being human. Being a writer or an author does not make you exempt from life.
Writers are not perfect. I’ve never met a perfect writer. In fact, I’m going to say that the less focused you are on perfection, the more likely you are to succeed (except when it comes to a final draft, of course, but you can get help with that).
And I don’t know about you, but I like the sound of infinite creativity and prosperity. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
I like the silent sound it makes when it is happening. I like the quiet power it has.
Make this inner work your reality if you want to see the results later. The future of publishing comes down to a series of pretty simple questions that any writer can ask herself:
Is this a book?
If it is a book, which formats make the most sense?
Whether it is or isn’t a book, what else might it become?
THIS is the future of publishing. Don’t let anybody tell you anything different.
There has NEVER been a more exciting time to be a writer. I hope you get that. I hope you make this statement your daily reality.
I hope you are ready to roll up your sleeves and show us all how it’s done. How you do it. How you write. Who you write for. And that change you create by putting words on…something.
There’s no reason to settle for anything else.
So get to work. Read my work. Grow your skills. Seek the help and mentoring you need to get on top of your game.
Your readers are waiting. And they might not wait forever.
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When others are looking at only the negative aspects of the current publishing world, you look to see the positives. Thank you for that, Christina!!