80% of success in life is showing up.-Woody Allen
I love this Woody Allen quote, and I’ve been thinking about how we as authors “show up.”
I believe that the following statements are those that are made by authors who are not only showing up, but making real progress with their work. How many of these are messages with which you identify?
- I block time on my calendar to write, and I honor that time commitment.
- When I can’t honor a calendar appointment to write, I reschedule that appointment.
- I have a word count goal or writing time goal each day or week.
- I keep my topic “top of mind” so that I’m always collecting stories, examples, and ideas for my book.
- I wear my “Ask me about my book” button and regularly engage in conversations with others about my book’s topic.
- I have “author of the forthcoming book” on my email signature.
- I conduct regular research on my topic; I have Google alerts set for my topics.
- I carry my books with me so that I can offer then for sale when someone asks. I always have one in my tote bag or briefcase, and I carry a box in my car!
- I have my book’s positioning statement–my 30 second commercial for my book–ready to go and can share it with others without hesitation.
- I’m always looking for news hooks and themes that relate to my book’s topic so that I can write relevant blogs or pitch my story to the news media.
- I regularly write blog content on my topic.
- I am obsessed with my topic!
So, are you “showing up” as an author? How can you up your game and show up as the authority that you are?