Between a Book and a Heart Place
A client just reached out because they have finished their book. (Yay!)
And now - they are waiting for it to be ready to release - and feeling exhausted. So… worried about wondering where to find their energy again for all the work that lies ahead. The thought of marketing is freaking them out!
It’s almost inevitable that we feel exhausted as we finish a project - especially one that you dug deep for - and even when you do know what to do that whiney voice tells you you can't, won’t, and shouldn’t!
So here are the 5 steps to navigating this transitional period in your project.
1. CREATIVE GPS
Locate and accept where you are in the process.
Locating where you are is a great habit to get into.
Every part of the process is different.
Drafting is way different than editing is different than waiting for feedback is different than conceiving etc etc.
And the better you get at knowing where you are, the more easily you can get to where you are going. Consider this your Creative GPS.
And once you locate the liminal spot between finishing and releasing you can accept you are going to have some amount of fear about how it’s going to be received. Doing all the work around that fear - which is beyond the scope of this piece - will help.
It also means that part of your brain that might be still working on it can stop. Remind your brain it’s time to move on. That will help with the brain drain.
2. RECHARGE
Seems super obvious but creative folx tend to default to making more. To output. Action. Moving forward.
Think about how you recharge your battery.
It really is different for everyone.
Is it bad movies and napping?
Is it your other job? Coloring books? Walks?
Is facials and meditation?
After you remember - actually do some of it. Ha ha.
3. RECONNECT TO YOUR WHY
Remember why.
Remember why you wrote the book. Did the project.
That fire in your belly, song in your heart is just waiting there to give you energy.
And there are usually 2 why’s.
1. The need to tell just the story, know what you know outloud.
2. The desire for other people to hear because it’s inspiring - helpful -entertaining - uplifting.
Honor number one and plug into number 2. So you feel like you are simply doing the work of being of service. Takes the ego out of it. That’s always more restful.
In essence separate yourself sightly from the book/project - so you are not promoting yourself but rather promoting it. So every who needs it - has ears to hear - can receive it.
4. MAKE A LIST
Really. Do it.
Make a list of everything you could do to move your beloved project out into the waiting world. (Beloved and waiting are adjectives that might help you.)
Making a list gets the actions out of your head.
Having it in your head is taking up energy.
It’s all rumbling around in there and unconsciously you are trying to remember it. When you could be thinking about your next project - or other projects!
On this list put everything you could do to market it.
Then.
Think about what is easiest for you (different for everyone) and what is most effective. Where those two overlap is where to begin. Because you will inevitably not do it all. There is too much to do. (What should go on this list is a different post - and writing it is now on my list ;)
5. CALENDAR
Or as I like to think f it calen-dare. Dare to make a calendar for your marketing.
The word calendar comes from a PIE root meaning - to shout. Because in Rome the new moons were not calculated mathematically but observed by priests - who apparently then went to hilltops to shout it out how many days till the nones. I’ll leave off further discussion of Roman calendars. But I love the idea of a calendar as a reference to a shout out especially in this context.
When are you going to shout what. And hey, if you want to align with the moon, I’m not going to tell you not to. Use everything. Let timing be your friend. And in fact n that list should be all the friends and allies of the project - how might they help?
That extra energy will fuel you. And maybe you want to think about some hired help, social media posters or PR people.
I like to think of my calendar as a conversation between me and time. Days expand and contract and I discuss this with my calendar as we go.
Don’t think of your calendar as a boss - or a minion but as a friend. And let it breathe and change. But also don’t ignore it. Do your best to be consistent.
Does that help?
Infinitely Yours…
xx
B