Author, Publish Thyself

It's been a few weeks since I last blogged and I've been pretty busy with life outside the world wide webs...but I'm back with a new project to share with aspiring writers. 

As some of you readers may know, I once ran a small publishing company called Sons of Liberty Publishing. While the business is still incorporated, we're no longer actively publishing other authors' works. I did however learn some very valuable lessons over the six or so years we were publishing. The biggest was an epiphany that authors no longer need a publishing company to get their books out to the general public. Much like the music business, where technology has allowed musicians to record and market their music without a record company, the book business has followed the same model. 

That's why I created this new guide called "Author, Publish Thyself! A Simple Guide to Writing and Self-Publishing." During author appearances, I'm asked all the time about publishing and to read manuscripts. I've stopped doing that and steer everyone who asks into self-publishing through print on demand. 

There was a time when authors needed a publishing company because it just wasn't cost effective to format and print a book. Publishers controlled who got a book deal and who didn't. Today, that's all changed with the advent of print on demand services, on-line book sales markets (like Amazon, B&N, etc.) and social media.

Anyone with an idea and the discipline to follow through can now see their book come to life. 

It can however be a daunting task at times to understand formatting, cover design, editing, etc. In this guide, I've laid out a fourteen step process to follow which will help lead you to the finished product. 

If you're waiting around for some huge publishing company to take on your book and turn it into a New York Times bestseller, you may be waiting for the rest of your life. Meanwhile, thousands of other authors are taking advantage of advances in technology and putting their book into the hands of readers. I'm not going to tell you this book will change your life, but it can help you see just how easy it is to self-publish. 

I know what some of you are going to say "self-publishing is for amateurs." While that may have been true a decade or so again, many well respected authors that once worked with larger publishers have moved to this model. Your book certainly won't be amateurish, if you follow the steps in my guide. 

The guide is now available on Amazon as a trade paperback or for the Kindle. Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have about how to get your book into print.

The Blame Game

Admit it, we've all know "that" person. Maybe you've know more than one. I'm guessing if you're over twenty years old, you have known quite a few.

They are the people who make excuses for their poor behavior because of a bad childhood, the death of a loved one or some other life changing trauma. Their whole life "sucks" because of the past and though most of them don't even know it, the negative energy they cast engulfs everyone in their wake. 

You cannot however allow anyone to excuse their bad behavior on the past. I've known far too many people who use this as a crutch for the way they act and things they do. I call them "Schleprocks," after a character on the "Flintstones" who was always miserable with a dark cloud hanging over his head.

Nothing is ever their fault and they refuse to take responsibility for their actions or the poor choices they've made. They blame it on the bad economy that's caused them go from job to job. It could be that Daddy didn't love them so they're angry at the entire world. Maybe it was just the cops out to get them after they were texting and driving and got a ticket. With this type of person, it's never ever their fault. 

Let's face it though, everyone has made a bad decision or two in their life. I can look back and point to quite a few of my own that turned my life in a less than positive direction. The key to a better more productive life however is being able to move past those bad decisions and stop blaming your luck, your parents, your boss, etc. for your problems. You made the decision, so own it and stop blaming the rest of the world.

The vast majority of people I've known who practice the blame game are the energy vampires I talked about in a previous post; they'll suck the life right out of you if you allow it. In many ways, they are narcissists because life is all about them and their problems. They don't consider or don't care how it negatively affects those around them.

Consider the opposite; those people who just exude a positive energy. I've known women who may not have been the prettiest, but their energy made them very attractive and a joy to be around. That positive attitude can be a key to a successful and happy life. 

As we grow as a person, we should learn from our past, but don't let it control our actions or our future. I'll never whine about what I consider to have been a dysfunctional childhood. There were things that happened that could have turned me into a Schleprock, but I overcame and did something positive with my life.  If I hadn't, I would have had no one to blame but myself.

Most people I know can say the same, but unfortunately not all. Don't let those practicing the blame game drag you down into their personal drama. Most of them I know love sharing their misery with others. Remember though, whether they're family, friends or coworkers, you owe them nothing.

We can be supportive but when you feel yourself beginning to get stuck in their mire, extract yourself from the situation without guilt. You'll find it's a much better and healthier way to live.