One of my personal characteristics is being impulsive!
Our first month in our new home was spent completing tedious tasks about our old home. Skype was our medium of choice! Due to the nine hour time difference we had to be up, alert and business-like in the early hours of dawn – or sometimes drag out our days past midnight.
After most things were organized my brain went into “let’s do something crazy –over drive- mood”. It was the first Sunday in February! I woke up with the determination to write a book. The blueprint was in my head! Straight after our breakfast I planted myself behind this little PC. It was neither tedious, strenuous nor a boring task. The fingers were dancing over the keypad! It was fun and refreshing to put down the story of Strawberry Lounge. It took two months to complete “Very Berry Extra-Ordinary “and another month to rewrite the first draft. In total I rewrote the book three times until I was happy and before it was sent off to the editor in Tenn. USA.
The editing is done, the waiting game has begun! The manuscript has been sent back via train, truck and automobile plus with the possibility to be held back at the border!
The saying goes: Patience is a virtue! This is one characteristic I have struggled with for the last 40 years. That’s why it is presented to me again and again, in various forms, shapes and situations.
We are not talking about major time pressure or deadlines-yet! What is being tested is my own impatience and a compromise of the promises I made to all individuals involved. My plan is / was to get “Very Berry Extra-Ordinary” published by the end of this summer!
If learning to be patient isn’t bad enough, I discovered another shortcoming. This one not related to my character but to physical appearance: Middle age- love handles on the mid-section and flabby upper arms have set in! Since the age of 27 I always had a 6-pack and nicely shaped upper arms. Not anymore! What happened?
For the first time in over six years I have the time to sit down to eat in quiet and peace. No rushing around, nothing to organize, no last minute shopping trips for the coffee lounge, no need for taxiing our boys around to their various activities yet. Years of ownership saw me running around like crazy, too busy to keep the pounds on. Now life is so much more relaxed - perhaps a bit too relaxed...
Anyway, to revive me from personal misery I decided on a plan of action: Activities to Lose my unwanted extras and to Gain publicity for the book.
Here is what I am doing:
No more crunches. For 30 years my abdominals performed the same old same old! Enough is enough- they are bored to death. Hand me weights, let’s do Pilates and yoga exercises for a reshape of this body part!
During the weekly swimming session I happily mingled with the ladies in the medium lane: It was for sheer enjoyment and to be happy to move the body!
Not anymore! The next time you can find me in the fast lane again for some serious free styling. Still for enjoyment, but with the goal to shape and reshape!
Next on the list:
30 push-ups every second day! And, no more late night ice-creams or cookie attacks while watching yet another useless romantic comedy!
To get in depth information on how to promote a book I follow the Jack of all trades, Jack Canfield. So far I watched his videos, watched a live broadcast and listened to a call-in show. One of the best ideas I heard is to attach a charity to the book.
I am currently searching for a suitable group that I could support with my book on "mother-preneurialship”.
Furthermore, I am researching various magazines on the Dutch, US, English and Canadian market to find out about their target group. Which one is most suitable to promote my book?
Another plan is to do presentations at various locations at various venues, e.g. local churches, Universities, Lady Circles or Chamber of Commerce. After a few phone calls and personal conversations I received prices for various rooms and locations.
Further, I am on a mission to get in touch with the editor of our local newspaper. I've got some funny articles to offer him as filler for the summer period. Not much to report yet! A personal visit was unsuccessful, a follow-up phone call and e-mail hasn’t been answered yet!
The most important thing is: I know what to do! And I am doing it!
I just have to find out HOW TO DO IT! But that is the fun bit...
The alternative is to call Jack- or to enrol in one of his courses – but, this would obviously shrink my First-Year-Canada-Fund. Thinking about it more closely, he wouldn’t help me personally. His business partner would! In the form of a detailed course program which reveals tried and tested methods by authors who made it to the New York Times Bestsellers List.
Let me think about this...to be continued!
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