*Writers are funny. They lie. Oh, they don’t mean to lie and they don’t realize they are lying most of the time. What do they lie about this time? Why, many are lying about how happy they are for your success!

Writers – authors in particular – say they want everyone to succeed but then turn a variety of shades of green when one of them actually does. Their frustration, though hidden, blazes in their hearts. They are asking, “Why him? Why not me?”

I’m not immune. I want Indie authors to do well, to see success. I will aid, promote, review, and chat up all of them. I will buy books, talk about my favorite authors, and do whatever I can to see authors find recognition. I don’t do it for recognition myself but to be helpful and supportive.

Sadly, this is not a two-way street. When I publish, those same authors that I promoted do not reciprocate, buy my books, or give reviews when given free books. Rarely do they share or give much publicity. It’s frustrating but honestly? Most authors are self-centered and narrowly focused. But there is a reason. It’s a kind of protection. Not everyone is like me and believes in the collective good (there ARE many others out there who are, and I’m grateful to those. This is not about them). I get it. They want to promote and sell their work.

The reveal comes when one of them becomes a best seller on Amazon, or New York Times, or USA Top 100. I’m happy for them. I cheer, promote, and talk then up again. As will all their author friends, many of whom are green at the gills.

But don’t let authors tell you that they secretly aren’t envious, even jealous. Don’t let them laugh off their frustration because they lie.

I know because I lie. And not all of us liars want to admit it because it makes us feel human and small.

I won’t tell you not to be envious of others. It is human nature. And I want to laugh when someone answers my frustration with, “you shouldn’t be jealous.” Shouldn’t is a judgement and I feel what I feel. No one can say whether it is right or not and certainly have no right to judge my feelings. If you don’t get a little green at someone’s instant success or see him or her zoom to the top of the charts and become #1, then you are remarkable and we can’t relate. Me? I’m human. I get frustrated and I get envious of seemingly easy success. Successful authors are usually quick to tell me, “but you shouldn’t.”  Why not??

Because envy can be good for you.

If you are human like me, and a struggling author like me, let’s try to work this out so that your envy becomes an understandable and useful tool for you.

• First, don’t compare yourself to others. No one writes like you. They are not you. Their sphere of work and how they got to where they are is very distinct. So, no apples vs oranges.
• Second, congratulate the successful and find out how they did it! Maybe there is useful information to be learned and lessons to absorb. You can never have too much information. Perhaps there is a “secret” you can use, too.
• Third, a kindness takes nothing away from you and improves your attitude. Not to mention that when you act like an adult you find the will to be an adult. So be nice! You liked them and/or respected them before. Tap into that and remember and mean it when you express your happiness for their achievements.
• Fourth, ask yourself what made you envious and work for it. Need to advertise more to improve your visibility? Need to tighten your writing and study your craft more? Need to publish more material? Blog more? Need help promoting? Define what is lacking and go after it. Get help. Seek out what you need and use those tools to do better. Trust that as you improve and your work is more visible that so will the good that you hope for come your way.

My friends, envy is good for you. You’re human yes, but don’t let that be an excuse. Green eyes can motivate you if you let it happen.

Someone I know had immediate and almost instantaneous success when they published their book. It rocketed to #2 in its genre in less than a day. People flocked to buy and the reviews poured in. I nearly fainted in awe and lost my mind with frustration and envy. How did this happen and what was wrong with me?

Ah, young Jedi, there is the lesson. First, this person created something needed. Second, they have a following that is several THOUSAND strong. Next, the product is quality. The word of mouth advertising after publication carried the day. The Amazon #1 bestseller status came out of a need and the following who purchased the product.

I don’t have that kind of following and my books aren’t mainstream enough to grab that kind of attention. I advertised but I’m in a totally different field and not mainstream. There is my answer, which clarified when I stepped back and examined why I felt as I did and what I could do about it. I was envious of a success that I could emulate if I wished!

Fill a need, produce a quality product, and develop a following before the product is released. Voila, my young Jedi, you have YOUR answers.

Envy can be good. It keeps you sharp and focuses on the prize. Just don’t let it get the best of you. Don’t let it stop you from promoting others, buying books by others, reading and reviewing works by others. Don’t be them. Be you and be the kind of person that others will – or hope – to emulate.

So, I told you I lie about being envious. I won’t ever admit it publically and certainly never to other authors. And I may never know their kind of success. I have come to accept that what I work for and what I earn may never be equal to others. But I will keep working, studying, writing, and publishing. Most of all, I will keep believing in what I do. Because I write for me and for you. My envy will never get in the way (though I may never be able to stop feeling it). Instead, let us use envy to do better and achieve our dreams.

Let’s make green the color of enviable success for both of us.

TELL ME — do you fib about feeling envious? And how do you deal with it?

*(this article is prepared after speaking with over 50 authors whose comments were provided with a promise of anonymity. The observation is a generalization and not intended to reflect the attitudes of all writers/authors. Nor is this written with malice or any intention to offend). 

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****The following items will always appear to keep you posted on activities.*****

WIP (Works in Progress):

– Writer’s Workbook – Learning to Write Everyday – Beginners Volume  (expected April 2017)
– first novel in the Evening Bower series, about vampires and other supernatural creatures (Nov 2017)
– prequel novella to the Bower series (May 2017)
– four-part fairy story (part one complete) (Christmas 2017)

On the Desk: (next reading): waiting on my next book

Off the Desk (book just finished): Prince Lestat 2 by Anne Rice

Coming Soon:  Interview with new folks and more about upcoming giveaways, plus more commentaries.

(The post originally appeared in Kerry Adrienne’s blog as Poetry Can Work Against Social Injustice, but I changed the title here to reflect a positive stance)

Poetry Can Work For Social Justice

I’m delighted to announce the release of my new book, The Book of Now, a volume of nonfiction poetry on subjects ripped from today’s headlines. This book covers social issues and contends that we must be more aware and responsible for these issues in order to find a way to correct or right these problems.

Now before you roll your eyes and groan, “oh not poetry,” wait! This poetry can be a powerful force for good!

Forbes Magazine has long highlighted poetry with responsibility. Take for example an article Jul 9, 2010 about Poetry and Pollution. The newly announced poet laureate (then) W.S. Merwin wrote of ecological disasters.

But Merwin is by far not the first to use his pen and write with a “social responsibility.”

In literature, where we seek social justice, first you have to understand what is meant by social responsibility. The best definition I ever read was, “the awareness of social injustice, from the local to the global, necessitates specific actions to combat those injustices. In other words, social responsibility and social activism are inextricably intertwined; once aware of the injustice, one is morally obliged to act.” (Naomi Benaron, author, 2012).

For fiction writers, there is a long history of literature intertwined with a need to highlight social responsibility and therefore find social justice. From Quixote, Dickens and Jane Austin through more current folks like Parsipur, Merwin, and Lucia Mann. There is a compelling need for writers to seek answers in the darkness and to speak out with authority whenever possible to shine light, right wrongs, and seek betterment.

But what of the poet? What makes the poet separate from the fiction writer? And are they more or less powerful with the pen?

I think it begins with a belief that social responsibility begins with children. What better way to send a message than a poem that one can remember, recite, and then remember forever? Besides understanding that poetry has always been a voice in the dark, finding those lights shows us how much social injustice has been highlighted in poetry.

Once Chinese immigrants were incarcerated at Angel Island, California during the early 1900s. They wrote their poetry on the walls, despite being told not to. Their poetry filled the halls of their prison and became known as the “talking walls.” From these walls, we learned of their belief in a right to freedom. And that they believed no one has the right to restrict their right to protest injustice. Their poetry was a powerful tool. Here is a short quote from one of the Chinese poems:

“For days I have been without freedom on Island.
In reduced circumstances now, I mingle with the prisoners.
Grievances fill my belly; I rely on poetry to express them.”

The beautiful language highlighted the impoverished conditions and sparked a need for a more fair and just society.

Another desirable aspect of poetry is its ability to present ideals and stress a position, to step off neutrality without the ugliness. There is a responsibility in our country to propose freedom and democracy. Political dictators and oppressionists have attacked these sorts of poets because they find social injustice poetry to be dangerously seditious. Which is exactly why I – and so many others — find it powerful.

Those young Chinese poets also did not take their use of poetry lightly. There was nothing common or funny about the literary tool. In their culture, poetry is the preferred method for highlighting social injustice. This is what makes their “talking walls” so important, that they leaned on their culture as they sought to expose social injustice. It also comforted them, giving something familiar.

Most of all, I think the power of poetry exposing social injustice comes in humanizing issues and reaching people on an emotional level. Poetry allows us to gently empathize, find common ground and to make what is scary or heinous more touchable. Again, it starts with children, learning to deal with social isolation, bullying, differences, and finding understanding in diversity. Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss did it for children and made it easy to remember. Maya Angelou made it easy for adults to understand and want to do better.

This was exactly my thought when I wrote The Book of Now. Not that it could be for children, because truthfully it is too harsh for little kids. But that I can cover terrorism, bullying, abuse, political bigotry and so many other harsh and divisive issues while pointing out the need for and the power of diversity, understanding and knowledge.

Today’s important poets have shown me the way. From Swiss poet Daniele Pantano, Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes, to U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera, poetry ignites the issues and sparks a need for change. And these changes may simply be in how we view an issue, more enlightened, more open-minded, more resolved.

I certainly don’t expect to remake the world or create a tsunami of change. However, with my new book of poetry, I want others to see subtleties, discover new emotions, and open dialogues of change. There are controversial issues in The Book of Now. We have to be fearless and open-minded if we are going to make this world a better place. Poetry is my way of highlighting social injustices and directing where our social responsibility might be. I think poets make the unpalatable more digestible, because they do it with compassion inside their honesty.

I content that poets believe in possibilities. Like me, The Book of Now does, too. I hope the message resonates with some of you and that you will take up the banner against the social injustices highlighted in The Book of Now. Join an illustrious population of people striving for a better world, and using poetry to do it!

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The Book of Now is available from my CreateSpace page, or you can order from the links on the book page or directly from online retailers.

OR if you want a signed copy, just fill out the form on the Contact Me page.

Thanks for stopping by!
I remain, yours Between the Lines,
Sherry 

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****The following items will always appear to keep you posted on activities.*****

WIP (Works in Progress):

Writer’s Workbook – Learning to Write Everyday – Beginners Volume  Release AUG 2016

– first novel in the Evening Bower series, about vampires and other supernatural creatures
– fictional memoir – November 2016!
– four-part fairy story (part one complete)

On the Desk: (next reading): TBD

Off the Desk (book just finished): A Toxic Trousseau (#8 in series) by Juliet Blackwell

Coming Soon:  Interview with new folks and more about upcoming projects. Plus meet my assistant (yes, you want details!)

Today I continue the commentary I began yesterday, exploring the author behaviors that you should and should not do in your everyday life.

Remember that every action you take as an author is a reflection of you, the businessperson. It is a measure of your character, your integrity and your reputation.

Today I’m looking at Newsletters, Caveat Amplexus, Giveaways and Promotions, and that One Important Thing.

So now, let’s finish off the bakers dozen of 13 Author Do’s and Don’ts in Everyday Dealings.

PART II 

NEWLETTERS

1. Are you one to send out a newsletter? I confess I started one and I have been uneven about using it. But I discovered several other authors have them and you know how they get subscribers? They steal them. Yes, by signing people up when they don’t ask for it. So here it is, DON’T sign people up to your newsletter without their permission/knowledge. EVER. That is rude. It assumes more than I can put into words. Such an act makes me furious. Not only will I immediately unsubscribe from you but also I probably won’t buy your books on principle either. DO ask people to sign up for your newsletter at signings and through your blog or website. DON’T sign people up to your newsletter if they simply comment on a post or buy your book. DO ask people who buy your book if they would like to sign up for your newsletter. See what is happening here? DON’T ASSUME people want to be in contact with you simply because they liked something you wrote, a Facebook post or because they downloaded your eBook. Bad business folks. I have badmouthed several authors for doing it. Puts a very bad taste in my mouth when I am signed up for things that I did not agree to. How about you?
2. Now I’m going to tell you to do as I say and not as I have done, here. If you have a newsletter, DO use it. I’ve been bad about that. I’m about to change my ways. DON’T keep people waiting on word from you. Once you have clients signed up, DO give them something to appreciate you and stay engaged in. DON’T be like me, or, as I was.

CAVEAT AMPLEXUS – Beware the (free) embrace

1. Caveat Amplexus, or beware of the embrace, is what I use to warn people away from “freebies.” This is a tougher one to explain. When you have friends who know you write books, friends who work in various places that might be of a benefit to you, it is sometimes tempting to want to “lean” on them. In other words, you want to embrace your friends with warmth in the hopes that they will offer you freebies. DON’T expect your friends, because they are your friends, to give you what you would expect strangers to pay for. Example: You have a friend who has a friend who oversees a venue that would be a great place for a book signing or a launch party. So you decide to hint that it would be great to do but you wish you could afford it. This is pulling on your friend’s affections to see if they can come through for you. Now you begin negotiating for a freebie. Suddenly that friendship without strings now has them. The friendship seems used. DON’T do this to your friends. DON’T ever expect to get something for free that strangers would have to pay for. If you should be offered a deal that’s wonderful! By all means, take it. But again DON’T ASSUME and put your friends in awkward positions. Don’t make your friends whisper “Caveat Amplexus!”
2. The other side of that coin works, too. Never expect less from your contacts than you do from perfect strangers. DON’T let your contacts work you in ways that you wouldn’t accept from people you don’t know. I understand that we want to do for others but if you are guilty of buying acceptance or selling yourself just make friends (or sell books) then you lose yourself and your professional self takes a huge hit. DO keep professional standards at all times, especially with your personal contacts and friends. You want to keep their respect once earned. DON’T ever cheapen it.

GIVEAWAYS AND PROMOTIONS

1. Love contests and giveaways, don’t you? DO have them. They expand your readership and winners help you spread the word on your work. Want to know what frosts me? When I win a contest and it takes weeks to get my prize. I don’t enter so many raffles or giveaways that I don’t know what I’m getting. Rule of thumb, advertise when you will announce winners and when the winners’ books (or gifts) will be mailed. DO keep your word. I know when I win I start figuring out when I will get my goodies. I won a contest once and after sending several requests for mail out dates, I finally got my gifts a month later. I was not impressed. DON’T take your winners’ patience or enthusiasm for granted. DO keep your word and DO mail out within 72 hours of winning. That is the longest you should wait before mail outs. In fact, you should already have your boxes or mailers ready to go, unsealed so you can sign the books before they go. And DO personalize whenever you can!

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

Finally, and perhaps most important of all things, DON’T lie. DO protect and build your professional self by expecting and maintaining the highest possible standard. Demand only the best out of your work, whether it is your writing, your book design, your phone calls, your newsletters, your face-to-face contacts. DON’T drop your standards for anyone. Ever. That means the truth is your guide and your word is your reputation. Once you lie and you break trust, you may never get it back again. Be the standard. Sadly I must say, DO expect and demand the same of others, even when they don’t want to give it. Never back down.

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With this baker’s dozen of unwritten, everyday rules for authors and writers, I think you will be well on your way to a sterling professional career, whatever path it takes! Good luck!

***

ONE QUICK BIT OF NEWS:

COVER REVEAL FOR THE BOOK OF NOW COMING SOON!

Thanks for stopping by!
I remain yours between the lines,
Sherry

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****The following items will always appear to keep you posted on activities.*****

WIP (Works in Progress): –  Writer’s Workbook – Learning to Write Everyday – Beginners Volume

– first novel in the Evening Bower series, about vampires and other supernatural creatures
– fictional memoir – November 2016!
– four-part fairy story (part one complete)

On the Desk: (next reading): TBD

Off the Desk (book just finished): League of Dragons – Naomi Novik

Coming Soon:  Interview with new folks and more about upcoming projects. Plus meet my assistant (yes, you want details!)