Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Who's Success is it?


Today promise yourself that you will be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

Sometimes, being the shy violets that we are, as authors, we find it easier to be supportive and congratulatory about someone else's wins - new contracts, promotional coups and other things then we tend to be about our own. Because we were told "brags a good bargain, but hold on is a lot better," or "Let someone else toot your horn." Well, that doesn't work when you have to go the 9 miles to promote your own books and be "out there" where people may criticize or even applaud what you do.

But--and here is the best part, what you give you get. So if you are enthusiastic about other people's success, feel that feeling, know that feeling and then claim some for yourself as well.

When Christopher Paolini first met publishing success with Eragon, I dissed him as-- oh sure his parents are publishers, authors, business people...he has an edge - maybe, but this home schooled little boy (15 when he wrote it) had just gotten his GED and was looking forward to college. Instead of heading off straight to college he decided to write a book.

Tom (hubby) just finished reading the first of the trilogy Eragon, and asked me if I would get the other two for him. He said he found no mistakes in the editing (where he found several in the Harry Potter books he just finished reading) and he said the kid writes a great story.

I must swallow my ill-placed envy or is it jealousy and read the first of his books to see how he made and is still making news. His series is number 3 on the New York Times best seller list, still.

Anyway, be happy for those who've succeeded. Your turn can't be far away, actually good vibrations from you will make it happen sooner.
Try it - it couldn't hurt.
Billie
http://www.billiewilliams.com

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