THE AUTHOR EGO

3 things worth your attention today

Image by by Dharma Comics

Wayne Dyer used to tell a great story that went something like this: He spent many years hustling his way to the top of the bestseller charts. He started by selling books out of the trunk of his car all around the country, and eventually, his first book, Your Erroneous Zones, became one of the bestselling books of all time. After becoming a "big" author, he was later humbled by his wife when he was on tour for the release of one of his new books and kept calling her each morning to see if "he'd hit the New York Times Best Sellers List." He'd call her each morning and ask, "Am I on this list?!" One morning, he called with utter shock and disappointment and said, "I'm still not on the list!??" She responded, "No, YOU are not on the list. Your book, however, is."

He loved to tell this story to remind us how quickly we let our ego get in the way of our purpose. As an author, your purpose should not be to get famous, get on Oprah, become a bestseller, etc. Don't get me wrong, you can (and should) certainly envision those things, but then LET GO. Your daily intention should be about sharing your work -- with your current audience and new ones everywhere – not about seeing your name in lights.

Why do I say this? Because a publicist's goal is to generate awareness around your work, your book, and you as an expert and authority on a subject. Of course, a publicist wants to get you on all the big shows, newspapers, and magazines, but it takes time, strategy, consistency, connections, good content, and a bit of luck. The best thing an author can do is keep showing up for their audience, serve them with valuable content that solves the problem in the reader's life you are uniquely qualified to solve, and share your message with those who want to share your message with their audiences – whether that's Reese Witherspoon or Joe Shmoe podcaster who's built a nice, loyal following. All the Joe Shmoes out there are the ones that will help you get to the Reese Witherspoon's of the world – and here's a BIG tip: you never know which Joe Shmoe will be the next Reese Witherspoon. For example, I worked with Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper when it first started, and it was much easier to get content into. Now, it's a highly sought-after publicity pot of gold.

Time + Consistency = Results.

By the time I worked with Wayne Dyer, he was in the prime of his career (in his 70s, by the way)—no longer chasing fame but following purpose. He taught me that things happen when they are supposed to, and stressing over the timing and interest of the media did not stop him from reaching his audience and getting the message out to those who needed to hear it.

As a young publicist very early in my career and in my 20s, I was eager to get him on one of the national morning shows. I must have pitched ten different producers at each show for months. No one responded. His book was far more spiritual than his previous pop psychology books and morning shows weren't yet interested – but my ego wanted to get HIM on those shows. I called him one day, dreading telling him that I had not booked a national show for his upcoming trip to New York. Without missing a beat, he calmly said in his soothing, deep voice, "It's alright, it's not time yet. They'll call when it's right." I was floored. What I saw as an epic failure, he saw as part of the process. And he was right; within the next couple of years, he would go on the Ellen DeGeneres Show twice (and officiate her wedding to Portia de Rossi), sit across from Oprah on her Super Soul Sunday set in Maui, and many, many more meaningful, authentic opportunities at just the right time.

Practicing the art of LETTING GO is a daily practice. Set intentions then LET GO and keep planting seeds and truckin' down your path. The right people will take notice. You'll gain momentum. And you never know when the next seed will sprout.


Here are 3 things worth your attention today:

SOMETHING TO READ

Publicity is complex, and its value is often misunderstood. The media landscape has changed drastically in the last ten years, and authors (and publishers) need to understand what's happening and shift their views accordingly. Fellow publicist and book marketing strategist Kathleen Schmidt does an excellent job explaining the current publicity landscape, including the impact of AI, paywalls, and the blurred lines between marketing and publicity. Her newsletter is well worth a subscription, too.

SOMETHING TO WATCH

Kelly Corrigan is one of my favorite authors. I love her writing and how authentic and down-to-earth she is. She feels like a friend anyone can sit down with, and her observations about human behavior and getting people to talk (and listen) to each other, celebrate our connectedness, and share our stories, are nothing short of brilliant.

Her TED Talk was just released, and on this live Instagram, she shares the funny behind-the-scenes lead-up and the making of her talk. She also shares how her mom passed away between the time she recorded the talk and its release. It's a very moving, eloquent, and heartfelt moment with an incredible author on the human experience. I highly recommend watching both.

SOMETHING TO LISTEN TO

If you can't tell, I'm a loyal listener of the Tim Ferriss podcast. He recently re-released an episode with Jerry Seinfeld I'd never heard before, and I particularly loved where Seinfeld talks about how hard writing is, how it's the hardest thing in the world! However, he credits his success as a comedian and writer to being exceptionally diligent and consistent. He explains his system for writing and, of course, is very funny in the process. Listen to the first 20 minutes, at least.

It's a bonus that the other guest in this episode is the incredible Maria Popova, creator of The Marginalian, who shares her writing workflow and workarounds.

A QUOTE TO INSPIRE

“Listening is so close to love that people can’t tell the difference.” – Kelly Corrigan

The battle for your attention is real and I appreciate you giving me a few minutes! Please feel free to share this with anyone who needs it. If you’re interested in working together, find me at Parallel 33 PR or get my ebook for authors by subscribing to this newsletter.

Cheers!

Carina