Use the Power of One Word

Are You Looking for The Next Big Thing?



In the publishing world, words fill our lives:


a number of times each week, new books arrive in my
mailbox
new submissions from authors come into my email box
new relationships happen on the phone or email or in
person
new opportunities to speak and help other
authors

If you are in stall and spinning your wheels, I encourage you to
use the power of one word to propel you forward. It does seem amazing but you
can tap into the power of one word if you consistently use it. Are you ready for
this word? The word is next. Speak it aloud: next. This one word is hopeful and
expecting something to happen in the future.



Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, co-authors for
Chicken Soup for the Soul, have a story that many people have
forgotten because of their success. The Chicken Soup for the
Soul series is one of the most successful in the English language. Yet
these books were rejected 144 times—which is more rejection than most people
will take. In this rejection process, Jack and Mark learned to look at each
other and say the word: next. Yes they mourned the rejection but they did not
stop and kept moving ahead to the next opportunity. If you want to read Mark
Victor Hansen talking about this issue, follow this link to the free sample of Jumpstart Your Publishing
Dreams . Mark writes about it in the foreword to my book.



As writers, we hear the word no a great deal in the publishing
world. We write a book
proposal and try to get a literary agent or a publishing contract. Yet we get
rejected and sometimes that rejection is over and over. We get little
feedback and form rejections saying things like “not a good fit” or “not
right for us.”



For others, we get a book contract from a publisher, yet you
decide the timing isn't right so you don't sign that particular contract. I
understand the timing and publisher and details have to be right. I have it
happen often with my work at Morgan James. We go through our internal process to
evaluate a book and decide it will be right right book for the publisher (a team
process). Then we issue a contract but the author doesn't sign it. I've had
authors sigdn their contract years (yes years) after I've initially presented it
to them. It is all about timing, passion of the author, resources,vision and
other such intangibles. As someone who has been in publishing many years, I
understand these intangibles but they are still frustrating. When I feel the
frustration, I say to myself the single word: next. Then I move forward on
something else.



For other authors, their book is not selling and they wonder
what to do next. I spoke with an author last week who published his book a year
ago, then was plunged into a personal medical situation which prevented him from
marketing and promoting his book. Now his health situation is resolved and I
encouraged him to begin again. Yes he had missed the launch window for his book
since it is already in the marketplace, but it is never too late to work on the
promotion of your book. Next.



I wrote this article to give you hope and encourage you to keep
moving—in spite of the rejection and the no thank yous. If you can't write or
publish in this place, look for the next opportunity. I know nothing will happen
if you don't move forward, take responsibility and take action. You can do many things in the publishing world but your action will be
the difference maker in this process. If I can help you in this process, my work
contact information is on the bottom of the second page of this
link.



What steps do you take to get it done? Let me know in the
comments below.



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