Hi friends,
Today I’m going to tell you something about audience building that will shift your mindset around it entirely.
What’s interesting is that this is the first bit of advice I’d give no matter whether you asked me about audience building or querying agents or finishing your book (and I do!)
And it is this:
Learn to enjoy it.
If you don’t, it won’t work in the ways and on the level you want it to.
Now, here’s the thing: Most writers don’t want to hear this. They want strategy, they want step-by-step instructions, they want actionable items, they want a list of things to do.
I can give you all of that. (In fact, in Bookish Academy, you’ll find all that and more. Incredibly detailed step-by-step trainings, including one I just recorded on how I 4x-ed my book sales in 10 days, and the specific details of how I did it, including the emails I sent out for that promotion— and why!)
But all that strategy will not work for you if it’s not in alignment with who you are.
If it doesn’t make you feel good about doing it.
If it makes you resist it every step of the way.
Robotically following someone else’s strategy is probably the reason you’re not as successful as you’d like to be, or feel like any success that comes is empty and hollow.
It feels hollow because it’s not the right fit for you.
(I’m not picking on you, by the way. This is what I have done for years, in many facets of my business, and repeatedly found to be true.)
When a strategy or a path is perfectly aligned to you, it feels right, it feels fun, and you enjoy it. And when you enjoy it, you show up for it in a deep and meaningful way. You show up for it more, of course, but you also put out a different energy and vibe that people pick up on.
We all know when someone’s putting shit out on social media for interaction and likes versus when someone genuinely cares about their audience.
It’s exactly the same process when it comes to getting literary agents or being out on submission with a novel or raising kids, or anything else in your life.
If you don’t enjoy it, trudging through the motions because “that’s the way it’s done,” you’re basically driving with the brakes on.
When it doesn’t work, you haven’t enjoyed the process, so the failure hurts more.
And if it does work, you don’t enjoy the success because you suffered so much in the making of it.
Compare that to when you actually learn to find processes, strategies, and ways of doing life and business that you enjoy.
When failure comes, it doesn’t get to you because you had so much fun doing it anyway, and can’t wait to do it again.
When success comes, it’s something you’re excited to build upon, a process you know you can replicate, something that brings you additional joy because it means that you’ll get to do more of what you loved doing the first time around.
So, here’s my advice. Look at all the strategy. Explore all the options. Check out the various ways that are available to getting to your goals.
Then do a gut check and see what feels good to you.
Do it the way that feels good.
Do it the way that feels empowering and gives you joy.
Do it the way that feels easy and fun, and puts you in flow.
When you come to it from that place, the numbers and the results won’t even matter.
The irony, of course, is that when you focus on the process and let go of the result, the result materializes anyway, with far more ease than you could have anticipated.
It sounds like bullshit until you see it play out in your life.
I was a cynic until I watched it happen in pretty much every area of my life. In my relationship, with money, with my books, with how fast and effortlessly I write, and now with my audience-building efforts.
I’m enjoying connecting with people, sharing on social media, doing it (as always), my way.
I don’t even look at numbers.
The numbers will increase as my level of enjoyment does.
I not only believe that, I know that.
Try it for yourself. What’s the worst that can happen? That you’ll have some fun?
You deserve to have fun with your writing.
You deserve to have fun making money.
You deserve to be in joy all day long.
Let me say that again: You DESERVE to be in joy ALL DAY LONG.
And if you’d like my help in getting to that place, in learning how to build a career that’s effortless and fun, I’m currently open to new coaching clients. Hit reply on this email, we’ll talk, and I’ll send you success stories, payment info and other details.
More tomorrow.
Cheers,
Natasha