Self Promotion and Lessons Learned

In case no one noticed, I have a short story being showcased this week on Midlife Collage. {{Sarcasm}}

I was so thrilled that it was selected to be one of five presented on their website this week that I neglected to think ahead to what this actually meant for me as a writer/author.

I am very thankful for the exposure and even more thankful that someone outside of my immediate circle of friends and family thought it was well-written enough to be given a chance to be read by many new and different people.

With that said,  I do not really know how much (or how little) I should promote this short story, as it is my very first one that has been published in a format such as this. I am learning the ropes as I go along on this journey - which has definitely been filled with peaks and valleys these past few days.

What I have learned so far this week -  in no specific order - is this:

1. My friends and family really do care about me.  Or, at least, they put up with me fairly well.  :-)
2. Facebook, Twitter and Blogger along with other social media tools are worth their weight in gold -  if used with care.
3. My fellow writers/authors are a fountain of information and are a wonderful support system.
4. Some people do not have nice things to say about my short story.  But I cannot judge them, since I do not know what is going on in their lives at the moment that the not-so-nice comments were made.
5. Many new authors have faced exactly the same things that I have faced this week and have lived through them to write another story.
6. Self-promotion exhausts me.
7. I will continue to write, because that is something I truly enjoy and gives me a stronger sense of purpose.

The most important thing I have learned is that this short story has been nurtured, sheltered and protected by me long enough.  It is now time for me to release the grip I have had on it and let it fly on its own merit. 

Thank you all for the continuing support, the great comments and the wonderful words of encouragement this past week. I truly appreciate it and will cherish it for years to come.

In Remembrance of Half Calf

5/26/2010 - 2/15/2013