Be Selfish- Help Others

​We are taught to help others.  I teach to help others.  I, myself look for opportunity to help others. One doesn't really have to look far.  

Simple acts of kindness.

We are also taught and I teach to expect nothing in return.  Meaning, by you bestowing love and kindness on someone else, they don't owe you anything.  You are not "one up" on them.   The person being bestowed your gift of time, energy or physical product may not even acknowledge you.  May not even show gratitude.  Might even be crabby about it. 

Be kind anyway.  Help others anyway. 

You are kind and helpful for the mere sake of being kind and helpful whether anything comes from it or not.
But here's the thing... something ALWAYS comes of it.  I have been "catching" myself being kind, FOR the very reason that I KNOW I'll get something back from it. 
I have become selfish... greedy! 
I have found that when I am sad or depressed, if I focus outward, and do things for others... I feel better.  
It may not come directly from the source as in say a "thank you" or a five star review, or even a smile... but, it does come back around.  
I recognized this when I started being "kind" on the down low... and now it's my favorite thing to do.  Help others when they don't realize they are being helped and if they did... they don't know where it's coming from. 
Sometimes, I do things for others, only because I know it will make me smile.  I know!  Selfish!!  Sure, it blesses the other person, but... oh how it makes my heart swell and feel light. 
I know... I know... selfish. 

I have a Book Club on this website.  It's filled with books from brand new authors finding their footing in the author world which involves a heavy load of marketing.  Things that most writers are not aware of when they embark on this journey.  If you haven't seen it, you should really take some time to check it out... (Click here!  Warning- be sure to block some time, because there is SO much to see!)

I charge a small fee to showcase their books here.  I present them to you fine people and I help them build an audience.  I could charge a lot of money for this service.  I could do it for free.  But I have found that charging a small amount allows them to feel empowered, and take the opportunity seriously.

I will not get rich from this service.  Not monetarily anyway, but rich in so many other ways. I don't get to see the faces of these authors, but I remember the first time I saw my book's cover on the interwebs... it was amazing.  And even if one new set of eyes saw it and remembered my name... that was progress.  
Most authors don't get rich or even have a lot of money to invest launching thier baby out into the world, but one person at a time builds an audience.  And so I give them access to my audience.  And I get to impart small tips and tricks along the way. 

I have found that when I offered to do these same things for free, it was a completely different vibe.  I am treated differently.  Not always, but enough that "they" trained ME how to better serve them.  I still offer great advice, even if they don't order.  I spend hours every day answering questions for authors, but it's different when you put money into the game.  You treat advice and service with a bit more respect.  You value the other person's time.
When I charge a mere $5, I am met with gratitude.  I am met with eagerness to do more, learn more.  I am met with a camaraderie of being inaugurated into the Author's Club.  And I feed off it. Not the money... those feelings.  I am selfish.  I admit, I love the five star reviews.  I love the thank yous and notes of gratitude sent to me... but mostly, I love seeing new authors spreading their wings and getting their work out into the world.  It's no easy task.  But when I scroll through the images of these books, most that are brand new to the market... I smile... selfishly, that I have them on my site.  That my audience are some of the first that get to see them.  That when I lay my head on my pillow at night, I know that I've helped my fellow authors in my own tiny way. 
Selfish.  

I believe I have more than one purpose.  I believe we all do. I believe we are given clues to our purpose by the strengths we have been given.  One of my strengths is to be able to help elevate others.  It is a pure, selfish joy of mine to lift others who may be struggling in one way or another.  It is a strength to help others find that missing piece of where they are to finding joy and happiness that is within reach, but they just might not be able to see it.  And selfishly, I pursue this purpose.  Or perhaps, it pursues me.  It makes me happy.  It helps me to suspend any grief I may have and I find happiness in helping others. 
I am humbled that I am a person that people reach out to... to share with.    It is fulfilling to me to lift others who may have stumbled.  It's a privilege to be that hand they reach out to and together with both our strengths lift them back up on their feet. 
When I am just focused on me... and my sadness or grief, I can't be of service to others.  I am happy that my need, that selfish need to smile and feel proud of how my fingerprint was left behind on someone else's happiness propels me to stay up on my own two feet. 
​
So, may I offer, if you are feeling sad, or disconnected or depressed... take a little bit of time to be selfish... and help others.  You'll be glad you did. 

Writers on Writing-
Why Aren't You Rich?​

I am so very proud to say that my sixth book is on the verge of hitting the bookstore shelves and perhaps, more importantly the Amazon virtual shelves.  That being said, people are curious why I am not swimming in pools of money.
 
Well… it doesn’t actually work that way.  We see the J.K. Rawlings and the Stephanie Meyers and the Steven Kings of the world and expect it to be a celebrity experience for all authors.  Wow, I would love it, if it was so, but it is not.
 
There are a lot of really great writers out there that are not getting the recognition they deserve.  They are not getting movie deals and they are not getting the media attention that will get their work into the public eye.  It's just a fact.  There are thousands upon thousands of authors out there and you only hear about a fraction of us.
 
A lot of it has to do with “It takes money to make money”.  Sure, there are some who sneak through the crack and whose manuscripts land on the right desk at the right time, but that is rare. 
 
I write because I can’t not write.  There is something inside me that inspires me to put pen to paper and release the stories, the thoughts, the revelations that I have learned and pour them out in a new way.  It is only recently (about six years) that I have shared my work with others.  But I have been writing and creating for as long as I could hold a utensil.  It is my passion.
 
I don’t write, or rather share my work to become rich.  If I could reach the point that it would comfortably pay all of my expenses without fear, I would be ecstatic!!  But that has not happened as yet.
 
There are a few ways that I get paid for the books that I have published.

1. -I receive a portion of each book sold when someone purchases through Amazon or a book store. (This purchase, while it does not line our pockets, does the most good as far as reaching new readers because it is charted, documented and there is "proof" that people are clamoring to purchase my books!)
2. -I can purchase my books wholesale, sell them myself and keep the profits.
3. -I can get paid by creating other opportunities based on the published books, such as speaking engagements, workshops and classes, or guest writing.
4. -Because I am a published author, I can help other authors get their work out by sharing the knowledge I have learned and they hire me to help them or they purchase items I have created to assist them in their journey.
5. (The last two are where the bulk of my income stems from.)

 
To give you an idea of how much money I make- when I sell a book overseas… While it is a huge feather in my cap to be known as an International Author, I only make twenty cents per book…. before taxes. Twenty cents.... 
 
It’s going to take a lot of books to make my first million.  Lol.
 
The more money I can spend on marketing, the more my brand gets out to the people all over the world.  The more money I can invest in hiring a publicist and an agent, the higher my chances are of getting my name to become more  familiar with more groups of people.  The more I can get out to the people, the more people can put a face to the name and in turn, they become the most loyal of followers because I am not just a name, but a real person.
 
I do not have a lot of money.  I market as much as my budget allows and then, not even that often at times because I get distracted with… more writing.
 
For me it will take being in the right place at the right time or having the “right” person read my book for me to get the recognition and the income that would make my living arrangements more… comfortable!
 
So for now, I am not rich.  I do make an income, but won’t be sipping champagne out of a shoe any time soon.
 
That is why I rely on your support as a reader and one who believes in my writing to always help to spread the word.  Share my posts, buy my books, leave reviews.  (This applies to all authors!  If you love what they have written, share the love!  Let everyone know!  Reviews on places like Amazon, Goodreads, Barns and Noble make a huge difference to our exposure to new readers, which is what it’s all about!)
 
I write because it makes me happy and I am constantly in a creative process.  I publish because enough of you have told me that you enjoy what I create and have requested more. 
 
For more ways you can help your favorite author, click here!

Do you have a question you'd like this author to answer?  Leave it in the comments below and I'll do my best to get to it!