Your Writing Matters: How to Banish Self-Doubt, Trust Yourself, and Go the Distance by Colleen M. Story

 

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Book Details:

Book Title:  Your Writing Matters: How to Banish Self-Doubt, Trust Yourself, and Go the Distance by Colleen M. Story
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction (18+),  260 pages
Genre: Non-fiction Writing/Publishing
Publisher:  Midchannel Press
Release date:  July 2021
Content Rating: G

 

 

Book Description:

Does your future as a writer feel uncertain?

You write day after day. You dream of bestseller’s lists and royalty checks, but despite your best marketing efforts, those dreams remain out of reach.

You wonder if you’re wasting your time. Does your writing even matter?

Author Colleen M. Story, a long-time professional writer and writing coach, helps you decide whether you truly have a writer’s DNA. She examines why you feel pressured to make money with your work, why the search for a readership is both motivating and discouraging, and why it’s so common to doubt yourself along the way.

Step by step, you’ll gain a clear-eyed view at the challenges a writer faces in the outside world, while taking your own journey inward to discover what writing really means to you.

Should you continue on this path, or adjust your course now before it’s too late? Don’t waste your precious time in indecision. Let Your Writing Matters guide you to your truth and you’ll never look back again.  

Book Excerpt from Chapter 3

Why “Becoming a Famous Writer” Is Such a Difficult Goal

I’m not saying you can never become a famous writer. But I do want to help you see how difficult it truly is to save yourself from such blame if you never reach this elusive goal.

The Realities of the Book Market

These are the cold, hard facts about the book business:

Each year, more books are published than the year before. In 2017, self-publishing grew at a rate of more than 28 percent—an 8 percent increase over 2016—according to ISBN agency Bowker. The total number of self-published books grew from about 786,000 to over one million for the first time in one year. And that’s not counting traditionally published books. This means that a market already stiff with competition gets even more competitive by the year.

Books must compete with many other forms of entertainment for people’s attention, and it’s only getting harder. According to a 2018 Pew Research Center survey, nearly a quarter of American adults hadn’t read a single book in the past year. A recent American Times Use Survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that Americans over the age of fifteen spend about 0.28 hours, or about 16.8 minutes, reading for personal interest each day. That’s down from twenty-one minutes in 2007.

This shouldn’t stop you from seeking approval and fame as a writer. There’s nothing wrong with dreaming big. What often happens, though, is that when we writers don’t achieve our lofty goals, we end up feeling empty, discouraged, and disheartened. At times like these, we ask ourselves, “Does my writing matter?”

As if those feelings aren’t bad enough, they can get worse when cousin Eddy, work colleague Elaine, or neighbor Judy looks disbelieving when you assert yourself as a writer. Unfortunately, this can wrongly reinforce the feeling that what matters isn’t the quality of the work itself, but how well the work—and the author—are known. Indeed, you can blame it on our culture, which every day emphasizes that only those who are famous are valued.

Writers Need Readers

Most of us will eventually set aside the “big money” dream of a $100,000 per year writing income in favor of more modest success. Once we realize the challenge and understand it’s an uphill battle that can be approached with a more realistic view, we gain the ability to celebrate smaller successes as the achievements they are.

It would be nice if we could do something similar with the desire for fame—or, more accurately, the desire to be seen. We could just write and not care about whether we become known. Unfortunately, such an approach would result in most writers feeling unhappy and unfulfilled.

The sticking point is that the writer-reader relationship is critical for a writer's development. Without it, a writer not only misses this critical interaction but also lacks the type of feedback readership can provide—the feedback that compels an author to improve with each succeeding work.

A writer needs this necessary back-and-forth—publish the book, get audience feedback, work on the next book, publish it, get audience feedback, start on the next book, etc.—so they don’t feel discouraged and invisible. It takes positive emotions inspired by reader feedback to nurture a prosperous career.

But what happens when, after a few lackluster book launches, a writer settles for being satisfied with writing works that are rarely read? This is a difficult prospect. Who among us, even the most creative, are willing to devote hours and hours to something few will acknowledge?

The worst-case scenario is that the writer gives up, believing that a lack of readership is a commentary on the quality of their work rather than a failed marketing campaign or a young author platform. This mistaken assumption misleads the writer into living an uninspired and unfulfilled life, believing that their gut instincts to write were all wrong.

Somewhere in between these two extremes is where most of us live, battling against our discouraged feelings while returning again and again to the blank page, running ourselves ragged trying to build up a readership however we can.

What I am telling you is that writers who enjoy fulfilling, rewarding careers—even if they don't sell a lot of books—are the ones who find ways to develop healthy relationships with their readers. Rather than seeking money or fame, they've learned that it’s more important to seek connection.connection.

Buy the Book:
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Another amazingly insightful and useful guide from Colleen M Story. I have read and loved her previous books and strongly suggest you buy yourself a copy of each. Her writing is clear with explanations and examples to give you a nudge in the right direction.

This book is about overcoming your doubt and hesitation.

It is about finding clarity and purpose.

It is also about the fact that writing is no longer just about putting words and ideas on paper (if it ever was just about that.)

A writer must do more. I am not just talking about the marketing required.
Yes, you write because you enjoy it or feel you must, but for whom do you write?
What do you hope your writing brings into the world? These are topics Colleen covers.

This book made me think and consider why I love writing.
Would I do it if I didn't have dreams of becoming wealthy and famous?
(honestly, those are not my goals)

What can a writer contribute that can not be found elsewhere?
Your voice matters and your view is important.
When will you declare that you are indeed a writer?

This book will encourage and support you.

Meet the Author:

Colleen M. Story inspires writers to overcome modern-day challenges and find creative fulfillment in their work. Her book on author platforms, "Writer Get Noticed!," was a gold-medal winner in the Reader’s Favorite Book Awards and a first-place winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards. "Overwhelmed Writer Rescue" was named Book by Book Publicity’s Best Writing/Publishing Book in 2018 and was an Amazon bestseller. Her novel, "Loreena’s Gift," was a Foreword Reviews' INDIES Book of the Year Awards winner, among others.

Colleen frequently serves as a workshop leader and motivational speaker, where she helps attendees remove mental and emotional blocks and tap into their unique creative powers. Her first course, “How to Finish the Creative Projects You Start,” is available on Teachable.

Go to Colleen's website for free chapters of her books.

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ goodreads

 

Tour Schedule:

June 7 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / book excerpt / giveaway
June 8 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
June 8 - Literary Flits – book review / giveaway
June 9 – Books Lattes & Tiaras – book review
June 9 - Welcome To MLM Opinion’s Reviews – book review
June 10 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review / giveaway
June 11 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
June 14 – Pick a Good Book – book spotlight / book excerpt / giveaway
June 15 - Locks Hooks and Books – book review / book excerpt / giveaway
June 16 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
June 17 - Laura's Interests – book review / book excerpt / giveaway
June 18 – Lisa's Reading – book spotlight / giveaway
June 21 – Books for Books – book spotlight
June 22 – Writer with Wanderlust – book review / book excerpt / giveaway
June 23 – Olio By Marilyn – book review / giveaway
June 24 – Debora-Zenha Adams – book review / giveaway
June 25 - Splashes of Joy – book review / giveaway
June 25 – Westveil Publishing – book review / giveaway
June 28 - Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / book excerpt / giveaway
June 28 - The Frangipani Creative – book review / book excerpt / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway: 

 
YOUR WRITING MATTERS Book Tour Giveaway