Wednesday, May 7, 2014

CATATONIC STATE of MIND

The INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html



The first week-end of this month, May 3 & 4, our Sisters in Crime/Hawaii group held a booth at the Hawaii Book and Music Festival to promote the Chapter and to sell our published books. In November of 2013, 13 of us local authors had compiled and published an anthology of mystery short stories set in Hawaii. We offered that book for sale also.

Rosemary Mild, Gail Baugniet, Laurie Hanan (with Sage)
On Saturday, seven of us did readings from the anthology at the Author Mauka Pavilion. Because I am the current president of Sisters in Crime/Hawaii, I made the introductions and did the small talk between readings.

So where do the IWSG issues come in here? When I talk at meetings or get up in front of an audience with a bare minimum of a plan for what I’ll say, no problem. Ask me to give a five-minute planned speech and I go catatonic. 

Ask me to “market” my novels in person . . . catatonic! 

I can live without ever giving another planned speech in front of an audience, but I do need to learn how to market my work without developing a rash at the mere thought. I have signed up for a workshop in July that will focus on marketing. I'll let you know how that works out for me. 

Do any of you have trouble telling new acquaintances or strangers about your work in print?

10 comments:

  1. Couldn't ask for a better setting. I did my very first anthology and it's out. Scary thought worrying whether my part measured up. I can sympathize with your experience.

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  2. That's cool the seven of you did an event together.
    I don't do well speaking in front of others either, planned or not. So I know how you feel.

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  3. Major trouble. I can ask total strangers to review my work. I know where to look to see if they are open to it on their blogs. But face to face with people that have known me a long time.

    Nope. The chance of rejection is too much.

    Anna from Shout with Emaginette

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  4. It always feels good to know you're not alone with certain fears. Fear of rejection probably tops the list.

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  5. I don’t have any problem speaking in front of an audience. I usually plan it, but I do well enough even with no plan at all. I’m not intimidated. What I can’t do is determine whether I’m interesting the audience or not. To me, they always seem not interested, so normally I try to be as succinct as possible :-)

    As for my own writing… well… because I write in English, most of the people around me won’t be able to read my stuff anyway (I’m Italian), but I do feel stupid every time I happen to talk about my writing with people, unless it’s other fellow writers. Again, I always feel the other person couldn’t care less, so I never start the topic. If someone asks me (which admittedly happens very seldom), I’ll answer very succinctly.
    With fellow writers, it’s a completely different thing. I like talking writing things with fellow writers. I don’t get that chance very often, but I enjoy it a lot when I get it. For me, it’s like breathing more freely.

    Hey, Gail, do share your ‘marketing discoveries’, if you can. I don’t have a book to market – yet – but it’s never too early to learn how you do it :-)

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  6. Ops! Just realised I'm using my Wordpress ID and maybe you won't recognize me. It's Sarah here :-)

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  7. Having the support of those you wrote the book with must have been awesome. I'm not much of a public speaker. I'm that person that's afraid I'll have spittle flying out of mouth or something!

    Elsie

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  8. Hi Gail .. even asking a question of a speaker I fall over myself and go bright red under a layer of paste!!

    Good for you to deciding to do something about it ..

    Life is interesting with the challenges it gives us .. you'll be fine very soon .. cheers Hilary

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  9. Marketing discoveries, Sarah? Yes, when I discover the secret to successful sales on the Internet, I will share! I love the adage that the way to sell a book is "one at a time." That makes each sale special.

    Thank you all for visiting and I'll be stopping at your blog sites soon!

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