I was raised to have dreams, to believe that anything is possible as long as you put your mind to it. I’m still a firm believer in that saying, but in my opinion people tend to overlook what it takes to succeed. Dreams are great, they push you when you’re tired and simply can’t stand to hear another bad critique, but you can’t live on dreams alone.
Hard work, consistency and a willingness to be pushed down in order to grow as an author is what it takes to succeed. My first book was published back in August and it amazed me how my mental attitude changed. For so long I couldn’t figure out how to become the author I wanted to be. I was a writer, a lover of books…but I couldn’t call myself an author until I was finally published.
As soon as I did I’ll admit I got a bit giddy. Who wouldn’t? I’d finally reached my goal…well the first of many. It took a few weeks for that novelty to wear off. Then reality set it.
People I knew kept asking how my sales were doing, and as much as I wanted to be able to tell them I was well on my way to being the next Amanda Hocking, I was far from it. Why? No one knew me. I didn’t have a platform to stand on, so my sales stuttered to a halt.
This is the point where some authors will give up and decide their dream simple wasn’t realistic. To that I say, dig in and work harder. Blog. Email. Self Promote. Learn how to build a platform. TELL PEOPLE ABOUT YOUR BOOKS!
This is what it takes. You can’t sit back and wait for people to find your book on Amazon. Trust me, it won’t happen unless you attract readers. You have to take an active position in furthering your career. Get out there, meet people, show off your shiny new book and network.
Work, hard grueling work is what it takes. Dedication is key. Dreams are fine but you gotta have an action plan. I do…how about you?
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