Putting Yourself Out There by by J.T. Bishop
The last
five years have been a journey for me. One in which I’ve learned a lot about
myself and what I’m capable of. I started writing in 2012 and have since
published five books with a sixth on the way. The writing, once I started, came
easily to me. The words flowed with ease, and still do. I can immerse myself in
a story and hours disappear in what seems like no time at all. All of this is
simple and natural, and I enjoy it.
The hard
part comes when the story is done. Once you’ve edited and polished it, created
your cover and finished your blurb, then comes the true task – putting it out into
the public and getting it noticed. The process of letting it go and allowing
anyone to read it is daunting and that doesn’t even include the marketing
piece. The interviews, blogs, newsletters, readings and book signings all
require time and a shift in how you spend it. Your creative side has to
transition to the public side. How do you position yourself and your book to
entice your target audience? For me, that’s not easy.
I’m much
more comfortable staying at home, keeping to myself and hoping that somehow,
readers will find my work. But I realize the importance of putting myself out
there. People are curious about authors and how they do what they do. They want
to know more. So I have to push myself to do those things that I might find
uncomfortable. I could avoid it all together, but I know that’s not the best
approach. What’s the point of creating something you love if you’re not willing
to talk about it?
I’m proud of what I’ve done and I’m happy to share it with
fans, and now I just need to be willing to share more of myself. Maybe that
comes easily for some. It doesn’t for me, but I’m working on it.
My fifth
book has just been published and with it comes the usual publicity.
My next
event is a book signing coming up and I can tell you I’m nervous about it.
Visions of no one showing interest or being totally ignored plague me. The
thought of sitting at a table while people walk by without so much as a glance
is terrifying. But I also know that this is normal for me. I get worked up,
fear the worst and go in biting my nails. But once I’m in there, I know it
won’t be half as bad as I’ve conjured in my head. And usually I end up having
fun, meeting new people, and selling some books. I know it will be the same
again. I’ll think the worst, but it will be fine.
I think
that’s the whole point of pushing yourself to do the things you fear to do. I
could easily stay home, curl up and keep writing. But this journey means more
than just staying in my comfort zone. For anyone wanting to be their best, to
show the world their true talents, and hope to reach more fans, you have to be
willing to face the hard stuff. Hiding accomplishes nothing. The journey means
taking the good with the bad, meeting challenges head on, and finding out what
you’re made of. Otherwise, what’s the point? As my dad always said, nothing
ventured, nothing gained.
So what challenges do you face as you follow your dreams? Are you willing to confront them and how are you handling it? Comment below and let me know how it’s going.
Putting yourself out there
Born and raised in Dallas, TX, J. T.
Bishop began writing in 2012. Inspired by a video that theorized the meaning of
the end of the Mayan calendar, J. T. began the Red-Line trilogy. The video
surmised that the earth was the central hub of activity for extraterrestrials
thousands of years ago. J.T. didn’t know whether that was true or not, but it
did spawn an idea. What if those extraterrestrials were still here? Two years
and a lot of work later, the first three Red-Line books were complete, but
she’s not done. The Red-Line saga develops as she continues to write new books.
Website URL: https://jtbishopauthor.com/
Facebook URL:
https://www.facebook.com/jtbishopauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jtbishopauthor
Buy link for High Child
Buy link for Curse Breaker
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