Well, it’s been a minute.
Last month I whipped up a whirlwind book proposal in preparation for a writing conference and virtual publisher meeting. I flew to Colorado and spent four beautiful days nestled in the Rocky Mountains, in the company of three fabulous writing friends. The days were full, the conversations rich, and the scenery stunning.
My publisher appointment went well. She had not gotten a chance to review my proposal ahead of time, but I presented my concept and it felt natural. We vibed, we laughed. She said she’d read through the full proposal and get back to me.
And she did, mercifully quickly.
“Hey, it’s a great idea…you’re off to a great start…but until you have some name recognition we can’t consider you.”
Basically, check back in when I’m no longer a nobody.
Now, I’m not holding this against her personally–this is the message any publishing house will give to the unfollowed, wanna-be authors.
If people would say, “Wow, you’re a terrible writer,” or, “This idea stinks!” I could be angry or embarrassed, but at least I’d have ideas of what to improve. I could even gauge their standards for publish-able content. Instead, I’m discouraged because no one has said anything negative about my writing skills or my concept–only my lack of popularity.
However, I don’t want to use people as stepping stones or lily pads; my goal isn’t to hop across enough people so that one day I can reach the other side of the publishing pond. For me, publishing isn’t the end goal, it’s just a next step.
I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to get there, but I do know that it will be through creating content that is worth sharing, not by playing the numbers game.
So get ready for some more content.
It’s go time!
jess leigh hanna 