Almost six months have passed since I published Mosaic Heart: Pieces of an Unfinished Life. It’s hard to believe that she has been out in the world for almost half a year already. And although I say this to authors consistently, it’s also hard to believe how much “work” is necessary to tend to and nurture one’s baby into its full expression in the world.
As I share with other authors, our hardest job may be what comes after the book is written and published, especially since what is required takes us into realms we may not be comfortable visiting: the lands of getting noticed and being seen and heard.
The most foreign land of all may be that place where we have to talk about our book and our writing. For many, especially those who prefer to stay in the background with their writing muses, it can feel like boasting. It can feel unnatural to try to be someone they inherently are not as they step onto the stage to be up front and center. This is most definitely an uncomfortable place for me. Yes, a book takes on a life of its own. But to get noticed, it also needs to be helped along the way. With millions upon millions of books in worldwide distribution, having one’s baby be seen takes an investment of time, attention, and intentional visibility—most likely with the help of others.
Today, I sit in this place of trying to get comfortable with what is required of me in order to support my book’s visibility. I also sit with the need to find balance.
How do I continue to work for others and support their writing and publishing experiences in the midst of what I need to do for myself? How do I continue to find time to write my second memoir (yes, it’s been started) while focusing on the marketing steps necessary to share my first memoir with a larger audience? And how do I find time for self-care, rest, and recharge as I make time for these other to-dos?
This has become the second greatest balancing act I’ve undertaken, after raising children in the midst of significant family changes. Although I intuitively knew how difficult it is for authors to find their center point amid the demands and their desires to foster a writing life, I am now living it firsthand. It’s not easy.
At the end of the day, though, would I want it any other way? My answer is a resounding NO. I have answered that inner call to bring my words to life, and I have made a commitment to become more visible. I have also committed to help other writers do the same. And I have committed to take care of myself so that the energy required to take actionable steps in support of my other commitments is sustainable.
For today, the most important step I can take is to make a declaration that I will take action in support of my commitments. I will consider which requires the most immediate attention and act from there. And I will check in each day to see what I’ve done and what I need to do next to ensure that I am supporting my book as well as my clients and myself. It may not be easy, and it may not always look balanced, but it can be done. Especially if I keep in mind that this is not a race to the finish line. It’s a journey that can be sustained if I remember to do it from a place of EGG: ease, grace, and gratitude.
As you consider what is necessary for you to get visible and promote the book you’ve birthed into the world, what actionable steps can you take today? How might those steps fit into your other commitments? And what measures will you implement to maintain balance? This is an adventure into new and exciting lands so how might you navigate your journey in sustainable ways? I’d love to hear from you!