Another Holding Pattern…

Hate to tell you all this, but there’s still nothing much new to tell you regarding our joint endeavors…

I can’t give you much of an update regarding our book projects, because we haven’t been able to finalize the book cover for the story book or connect with the second artist for our first major book of the series.

I can’t give you much of an update regarding our website, because we haven’t been able to meet with the web designer, because he’s been busy.

Our list of things to do is growing, while our success rate (for accomplishing the items on the list) is stalling to a halt.

My impatience is getting the best — or worst — of me… but Katherine reassures me that this is the lull before the storm of activity.  Before we know it, everything will be coming at us all at once — so much so, that it’ll become overwhelming.  

Her advice:  Enjoy the quiet for now…

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The Relationship between Mental and Physical Health

My 87-year-old mother is in the hospital with congestive heart failure.  For years, the doctors have told her that she needs to replace the valve in her heart, but she doesn’t want the operation because she’s afraid of having a stroke on the table—which is a risk.

But we can’t talk about any type of surgery now…

All we’re concerned about at the moment is getting Mom’s meds managed, getting her back on her feet, and getting her strong enough to get her home.  To do that, she’ll have to go to a rehabilitation center to regain her strength.

And before she can do that, the doctors have to get her meds managed so she’s stable enough to be discharged from the hospital.

As each day passes and new symptoms (and consequences of past trial-and-error medicines) surface, an increasingly thick layer of depression and misery hangs around.

Doctors are giving Mom a mixture of meds, trying to stabilize her, but I’m as concerned about Mom’s mental attitude as much as her physical health.  One feeds the other and vice versa.  The mixture of meds, which are causing a chemical imbalance, is also creating an emotional imbalance which is affecting her moods, outlook, and her overall health.

I’ve given up trying to contribute in this situation.  My presence is met with criticism and rebuttal.  Her extended family has rallied around her, and nothing I say or suggest is credited with any value.  They all know better than I, and I’m dismissed as soon as I arrive.    

On one hand, I’m hurt by this; but on the other hand, I’m released from the responsibility.  There are doctors and nurses in our family who are more knowledgeable than I, in this particular area. 

I know that everything happens for a reason and will work out the way it is meant to work out. 

And, even though all we can do is take one day at a time, it's hard to convince the rest of them of this unchanging and natural law...

But then again, tomorrow is another day and brings with it another chance to do better…




.

Why Does Every Encounter Have to End As a Power Struggle?

Warning!!  Venting Zone Ahead!

Thank goodness I have Friday off.  It’s the beginning of the week, and I’m already fed up with the office for the week! 

My main frustration regarding the “professional" (?) work environment — in which I spend 50 hours a week — is the fact that those working there don’t respect each other.  They don’t have the attitude of working together… of collaboration… of supporting cooperation… of sustaining healthy relationships with one another.

Why does every encounter have to turn into a power struggle around here?  

Why can’t a person have a pleasant conversation with someone in the kitchen, without being reprimanded for it? 

Why are employees so focused on covering their butts, instead of focused on working together to come up with solutions?

Yeah… I’m frustrated…

All of this goes against my core value system.  I don’t like being a part of a company that has avoiding responsibility, bullying, and blaming others running freely through its vein-like corridors.  

People go around assuming the worst of others, jumping to negative conclusions, and accusing others instead of accepting the consequences of their own actions.  

This behavior is practiced and encouraged by the Head of the division; therefore, it’s understandable why this type of behavior permeates throughout the workplace. 

When I complain, they simply shrug.  If you don’t like the office politics, you’re welcome to leave.  You’re expendable… replaceable… disposable…

The saddest part is that if/when I do leave, I’ll find that the next place will be the same or even worse…

Yeah… Friday’s not coming soon enough for me…

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When I Calm Down…?

I’m so glad you’re out there for me, because I had one of those days… again. 

Well… the day was actually really good.  It was the $#%@ visit to the “car shop.”  I don’t know what it is about car shops and me, but we just don’t mix…

Anyway, I took the day off from work, because I… needed… a day off from work…

I was driving around town, getting things done and crossing them off my things-to-do list.  

On the road to someplace else, I saw the sign for an oil change, tire rotation, and lube for $14.99.  Of course, there was another place advertizing $15.99 oil change right next door…

Cool!  The car needed an oil change, and I could do $14.99.  Although this wasn’t on my list for today, I thought I could fit it in, so I turned the car around and drove back to the $14.99 place.

Before I could get out of the car and close the car door, three mechanics surrounded me, took my keys out of my hands, and asked what they could do for me. 

I told them all I wanted was a $14.99 oil change and asked how long it would take.  They said that I was their only customer, so it’ll be fast.

Cool! 

One guy, Todd, brought me into the office to start the paperwork.  I told him I just wanted the $14.99 oil change.

Todd:    We can upgrade for $20.00…


Me:    No, thanks.  I just need the $14.99 oil change.


Todd:    But the premium oil change will…


Me:    No, thanks.  I just need the advertized $14.99 oil change.


Todd:    Ok.

The guy that had taken my car keys — and who had my car up in the air by now — came in and said he knew I’m here for the $14.99 oil change but for $20.00 more….

Me:    No, thanks.  I just need the $14.99 oil change.


Guy:    But the premium oil change will…


Me:    No, thanks.  I just need the $14.99 oil change.


Guy:    But the premium oil change will…


Me:    Just the $14.99… $14.99… $14.99… $14.99 oil change, please.

So, he went back out and 15 minutes later, Todd took me out to my car. 

The guys must have really been bored, because pieces of my car were all over the place…

Todd quoted me $354.78 to put the car back together with all the things they were recommending… including replacing a new air filter that had been changed recently.

I was getting irritated at this point, because I came in for a $14.99 oil change—and, now, my car parts were surrounding me, while five guys were trying to tell me the bill was no longer $14.99, but $354.78 

Me:    I’m really irritated right now, because I came in for a $14.99 oil change and somehow you’re writing me bill for $354.78.  I’m really irritated. 

Then the guys started to gang up on me, explaining that my car has 100,000 miles and it’ll need fluid changes and….blah…blah… blah…  [at least, that’s what I started to hear].  When I mentioned that I had life-time service with another mechanic shop regarding the stuff they were quoting, they got aggressive and started pointing out things the “other place” did wrong.

Me:    I’m really irritated with you guys right now.  I’m not going to stand here and play the “finger-pointing” game with you, either.  I just want the $14.99 oil change and my car put back together the way it was when I first came in — with no added or missing parts, please.

Todd:    But we have your car all apart.  You’re already here.  It’ll really be easy to do all of this stuff.

Me:    You don’t understand.  I’m really irritated; and the more you push the more irritated I’ll become.  As I get more and more irritated with you, my barriers will go up.  The more you talk and push… the more I will keep saying, “No” because I’m closing myself off from you.  It doesn’t matter whether you’re right and I’m wrong.  I will say “No” to whatever you say from this point.

Todd:    But we can…

Me:    I understand you need to make money for your shop, but this isn’t how to do it.  What I’m telling you is that I’m very irritated — and no matter what you say from this point on, I’ll say, “No” to it, so you should stop now.  You’ll going to have to learn to stop once the customer is irritated, because pushing will get you nowhere. 

He stopped at that point; the other guys pulled back as well.  My car was put back together, my bill was readjusted to $14.99 plus tax, and my keys were returned to me.

And Todd’s departing words to me were:  I’m leaving you our card, so when you calm down, you can call us and make an appointed for us to finish up the other work for you.

All I could think about was how clear it was to me that I wasn't being heard, seen, or understood...

So, yeah…when I calm down…I’ll be looking for (yet) another mechanic shop…

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Fear of Success?

I came across an article about Fear of Success—and overcoming the Fear of Change or the Fear of Failure.

It discusses the fact that when we’re too afraid to take risks and move forward on our goals — either consciously or unconsciously — we get stuck in one place, neither moving forward nor backwards.

The article made me wonder if that was what was happening to us and our book project…

It sure feels like we’re not moving. 

For example, we had our weekly meeting and went over our list of things that still has to get done.  Sadly, we’ve made no progress on any of them.

Our first book is still with the graphic artist.  Katherine hasn’t gotten back to reading the rough draft of the second book yet.  Nothing’s going on with the play, the website, or the business license.  The release of the short story is tied to the first book, so I can’t move on that until the first book gets out.  

On the other hand, Katherine was involved with and was a presenter at a 4-day retreat, this week—so, her time was consumed with that activity.

And we spent our meeting-time reviewing how her presentation went, which helped generate some conceptual outlines for future workshops.   

 

So, even if it might seem like we didn’t make progress on the book project, I’d like to think that we’re creating a solid foundation that will help with the promotion of the book, whenever it does get published… in my humble and optimistic opinion.

But…. am I just rationalizing our behavior?

So, I checked out the signs — or red flags — of Fear of Success… just to see if they described either Katherine or myself…

Red Flags of Fear of Success

• You feel guilty about any success you have, because others around you haven’t had the same success.
• You don’t tell others of your accomplishments.
• You procrastinate on projects, especially projects that could lead to recognition.
• You compromise your goals to avoid conflict with others.
• You self-sabotage your work, saying you’re not good enough to achieve them.
• You feel that you don’t deserve to enjoy success in your life.
• If you do achieve success, you won’t be able to sustain it.  Eventually, you’ll fail and end up in a worse place than before.

Well, looking at the list, the only one that could possibly describe Katherine is procrastinating on this project, but I don’t believe it has ANYTHING to do with Fear of Success.  It has more to do with how much other stuff she’s juggling, and where this project falls on her priority list.

As for me, I’m struggling with impatience more than anything else.  I’ve done as much as I can and, now, have to wait for others to do their part. 

Looking at the “solutions” to conquering the Fear of Success, I’m even more confident that this isn’t our problem.

Basically, the article suggests that you face your fears and analyze them rationally.  Create backup plans that address your fears.  By doing these things, you can weaken those fears, which will dramatically reduce your reluctance to achieving your goals.

Also, always maintain your integrity as your top goal.  By doing that, you will always make the right choice.

And we’ve got all that covered, so... yeah… no... 

It’s not Fear of Success that’s slowing us down…

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A Dent To Perfectionism

It’s my first day off in months and months, and what do I choose to do with it?  I am attempting to re-caulk my bathroom shower.

I know that I do not possess the strengths or skills that will help me on this task. 

I am not the handy type.

I’m a left-hander in a world where tools are made for right-handers.

I am impatient and persistent.

Yet — knowing all this — I am going to take my first day off in months to re-caulk my bathroom shower…

I go to the store to purchase the tools.  I purchase the scraper thing-a-ma-jig, which is, of course, set up for a right-hander.

I grab and buy one white tube of the “easy and quick” caulking paste.

I get home and read the instructions, with the help of a magnifying glass.  I scrape, sweep, clean, and Clorox the shower stall the night before, and so I have a clean and dry surface to work with…

I place a new sponge, an old hand towel, and an old toothbrush (just in case) by the shower, to remind me of my task in the morning.

I spend a sleepless night, wondering if I will stand victorious tomorrow... or fall in defeat.

At morning’s light, I start my adventure.  I find an almost-used-up tube of white caulking and begin with that.  Things start out fine, until the old tube starts sputtering caulking all over the place, like an old tube of toothpaste does.

So, I have to stop and clean that mess up…

Then, I grab the new tube of caulking, cut that one open, and start on a new spot.

To my dismay, almond-colored caulking comes pouring out of the white tube.  What the #$@$!!!

I look at the tube… then at the stuff that’s spewing out of it… then at the wall… then back at the tube… then at the letters on the tube that spelled A-L-M-O-N-D… then at the cap of the tube that’s the color of the crap that’s spewing out of the tube… then back at the wall.

I take a couple of deep breaths… look at my hands, now colored in almond caulking… look back at the shower wall… and decide that the almond caulking doesn’t look too bad mixed in with the white already sprayed all over the place.

So, I continue on my mission and get to the smaller tiles.  I try to cover only the groves, but miss miserable, and every time I try to wipe away my errors, I also wipe away the new caulking in the process, which causes me to re-caulk, and re-wipe and re-caulk and re-wipe the same space over and over again.

I decide to stop this cycle of mine and let what caulking managed to move in between the tiles (and on the tiles) stay where it lay.  Maybe, after it all dries, I could scrape the excess off…and if not… well…

I look at what I've done.  If I keep the lights off and squint my eyes a bit, the dusty-looking almond swirls all over the tiles give the floor a mystic look…

And I reason, in a couple of months… or years…  I’ll have to do this all over again, and I’ll do better then…

And… if it becomes an issue, I can always get someone to help me the next time…

And… my guest bathroom still looks presentable, so no one else has to know about this bathroom…

Yep!  This little home-improvement adventure has, definitely, made a dent to Perfectionism, and I’m OK with that. 

P.S.  After all is said and done, a gentleman, online, lets me know that I shouldn't have been caulking... but grouting.  

I'm sitting here, now... silently shaking my head... thinking... What a great punchline to this joke... if only it was a joke...

Oh, well...<shrug>

Unfulfilled Expectations

Well, the first deadline set by the graphic artist has passed, unceremoniously — with no email, call, or sign from him that we’re any closer to getting published.  When we email him to ask how he’s doing, we get no response…

So… yeah…. sadly, that means that there's nothing more to report on that front… other than growing frustration and diminishing patience on my part.

What’s our next step?  Waiting for the next deadline, I guess,… which is in a couple of weeks.

If that one passes without a sign of life from this graphic artist, I’ll suggest to Katherine that we’ll need to figure out another path to take—because doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of stupidity. 

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The Business of Relating

A couple of weeks ago, I had an interesting encounter with a cousin of mine.  He wanted my opinion before contacting his lawyer.

He had retained this lawyer to help him with a personal matter, and now that the situation has been resolved — and satisfactorily, he admits — he wanted to close his account with the lawyer.  To facilitate that, he emailed the lawyer a request for an accounting of his charges and a return of the portion of the retainer that still remained in his account.

The lawyer did as he was asked and sent an accounting of the charges — showing a remaining balance of $500 — but, as he told my cousin before, the retainer was nonrefundable.

This was what had gotten my accountant cousin so upset.  He felt that he should be able to get the unused portion back.  The lawyer had taken advantage of him by taking something that did not belong to him — something that he had not earned.   

To make his point, he drafted an email and wanted me to review it before sending it.

 

In the email, he shared his frustration.  He went as far as to write that he felt betrayed by this professional who was supposed to be a trusted advocate and advisor.  He proceeded to tell the lawyer everything that was wrong with the accounting practices within his firm… and if he wanted other clients to feel just as betrayed as he did, then continue on his current path.

As I finished reading, my cousin added that he's so upset that he's prepared to go on the Internet, share his complaint through various social networks, and  lead a negative campaign to stop this small law practice from stealing money from other unsuspecting and trusting souls. 

Yes, he’s ready to destroy this man’s practice over $500 — because it’s the principle of the thing.

I listened… and listened… and listened.  When he was done, I asked a question.

From what he told me, the lawyer is competent, easy to talk to, and genuine.  He prevented my cousin from having to go to court and saved untold court costs and other legal fees in the process.  The only issue he seems to have is his wanting to close the account before the remaining $500 is used up. 

If that’s the issue, is there another legal matter that this firm could help him with, thereby using up the $500 instead of forfeiting the retainer?

The main question is:  If the lawyer did a good job for him, does he really want to sever that relationship? 

If he sends the email as drafted, he would, most certainly, sever the relationship and would not be able to turn to that lawyer again.  Is that what he really wants to do?

He stopped for a long moment.  In that moment, I saw him switch from an angry accountant who focused on the calculated figures to a person who valued relationships over dollars. 

Because he didn’t want to sever the relationship, he decided to take the weekend to calm down before doing anything more. 

****  

Weeks later, I asked my cousin if things worked out with the lawyer situation.

Yes, it did.   He did some research and that it was customary for lawyers to have nonrefundable retainers.  He also realized that he was really angry with himself for not keeping “on top” of the accounting issue in the first place.  It was just easier to blame the lawyer instead.

In the meantime, the lawyer had called him and told him that the account would remain opened; and the remaining balance would be available for my cousin whenever he needed legal help.

So, yes, things worked out; and it always will, when one places relationships ahead of everything.

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The Backlash

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you would have run into a number of posts stressing the need to accept responsibility for your actions while, at the same time, allowing others to accept the consequences of their own actions. 

Well, a friend of mine is beginning to do that with her 20-something-year-old daughter.  She’s stepping away and taking back her life — allowing her daughter to take ownership of her own life.

This move, on my friend’s part, is very hard for her… and her daughter.

Cassandra, my friend, wants to be a supportive and loving mother.  In fulfilling this need of hers, she has given her daughter all that she has — bailing the daughter out of one mess after another. 

Looking back over her life, she realizes that, while she has given up everything for her daughter, her sacrifices have gone unnoticed.  Now, she finds herself financially strapped and emotionally drained. 

The daughter is in no better shape.  Over the years, the daughter has developed an attitude of “entitlement” that was once only reserved for royalty.  The daughter has been taught to expect her mother to fulfill her every need, without question or appreciation.  The daughter has never had to accept responsibility for her own actions, nor deal with the consequences that result from those actions.  Her mother always stepped in to shield her from herself.  

Both individuals in this story are searching for their own identities.  Both are struggling to stand on their own… crying out to be seen and heard — to be loved for who they are…

Cassandra wants things to change for her daughter and for herself.  For this to happen, she has started to step away from situations — allowing the daughter to step up and take ownership of her own life.

Once Cassandra starts to step away, the backlash begins.  It's a strong wave of reality crashing down on the daughter.  

This is painful for both of them.

The daughter is hit so hard that it throws her off-balance.  In response, she does the only thing she knows to get her footing back.  She blames her mother for her situation.  She gives the mother the icy stares and the cold, silent treatment — shutting the mother out of her life — waiting for the mother to break down and fix things…

Cassandra is struggling with her decision.  Was it the right thing to do?  Was it the right time to do it? 

Oh, if only she could turn back the hands of time and start all over again, but she can’t.  She can only go forward…

Will her daughter ever understand why her mother did this? 

Will Cassandra be strong enough to see this through? 

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Angry Eye

Someone introduced this video to me.  I thought it was eye opening and wanted to share it with you.  

I hope you take the time to watch it all the way through. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPtzS7-H7J4&feature=share)

Just When I Started to Have Some Sense of Control…

Really!!  Come on!  You’ve got to be kidding me!!!  

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been making myself crazy by researching self-publishing companies and comparing rotten apples to green oranges…

It was just two days ago, when I figured out which self-publishing path I felt most comfortable with.  All of them had their advantages and disadvantages, but the one I picked gave us more control and more royalties, with less expense on our part.  Yes, it meant more work on my end, but I was OK with that.

So, now I’ve been in the experimenting mode — formatting the book on my own, researching how to create ebooks, book covers, etc.  The more I do, the less it will cost to produce the book and more we can spend on promotion and marketing… at least that’s the plan.

I’m feeling better about things because I feel that we are moving again… moving down the path of being published.  I’m no longer in a holding pattern.  I’m no longer waiting… waiting… waiting…

I feel more in control of things!  Yea!!!!

And tonight — as I’m researching and learning all about copyright registration and Library of Congress cataloging — up pops an email from the California independent publisher — the publisher that asked us to revamped the book to fit their marketing niche. 

And we did just that.  We revamped the whole book for them.  I resubmitted it to them months ago, with several follow-up emails to make sure they received the new rewrites.  When I didn’t hear back from them, I simply assumed they weren’t interested in the rewrite, and I simply moved on.

Turns out, the person I was working with at that publishing house recently left that publisher, and a new person has taken her place.  This woman hasn’t had a chance to look at our material yet, but wanted to assure me that they did receive it.

Great!  Now what do we do?

Do we put our self-publishing plans on hold, until this “real” publisher gets back to us? 

Everything that I’ve been researching, experimenting, and teaching myself would be… well, taken care of by the publisher.  The book would become their property and our royalties would be less, but…

A “real” publisher can get us into bookstores and libraries and open doors to promotional events that would be closed to self-publishers.  Our book would be more eligible to be cataloged in the Library of Congress, which makes us easier to find.  [I learned that on-demand and self-published works are out of the scope for the Cataloging in Publication (CIP) program for the Library of Congress.]

We also wouldn’t carry the “stigma” of the “vanity press” label that self-publishers have to deal with…

All this only happens if a publisher takes us on —and this new acquisitions editor still hasn’t looked at our new book proposal and revamped book.  She may pass on it as well.

So, what does all this mean?  It means I’m back waiting… waiting… waiting…

Waiting for her to either work with us or send us another “encouraging letter of hope.”

And all this happens just as I start to have some sense of control…

Really!!  Come on!  You’ve got to be kidding me!!! 

If It’s Such Good Advice, Why Not Follow It?

I’m awakened by the piercing ring of my phone.  I roll over, planning to let the answering machine deal with the caller, until I hear my friend’s upset voice being recorded.

I stumble to the phone and manage to pick it up before she slips away in the shadows of my sleepy haze. 

Rachel is unnerved.  She finds herself in the middle of a very volatile and emotional situation.  Before she acts upon her instincts, she wants to pass the plan by me — her logical, objective, and stable friend, who always gives her good advice.

She gives me the background of her situation, describes her dilemma, and outlines her plan of attack.  Once she blurts everything out, she asks what I think of her plan.

I try to calm her down, so she can clearly understand what I’m about to say.  I tell her that, if I were in her situation, I wouldn’t do what she’s planning to do.  I foresee that her current course of action would create more problems than solve them.  Instead, I would do ‘such-and-such’.

She listens, understands the reasoning, and agrees that her plan of action would aggravate the situation.  She thanks me for my advice and hangs up.

Thirty minutes later, the phone rings again.  It’s Rachel… in tears.  She admits that I was right.  She should have followed my advice, but she went with her plan, instead.  Doing it her way did, indeed, make things worse. 

Rachel:  “Now, what do I do?  I’m thinking of going to him and doing ‘this-and-that.’”

Me:  “No, I wouldn’t do ‘this-and-that’ if I were you.  I would do ‘such-and-such’ instead.  Neither of you are in the right emotional state to deal with this rationally at this time.  If you continue on this path of yours, you’ll make it even worse.”

Rachel:  “You’re right, of course.  You’ve given me great advice.  Let me hang up with you and do what you suggest.”

An hour later, the phone rings again.  It’s Rachel… in tears.  She, once again, admits that I was right.  She should have followed my advice, but she went with her plan, instead.  Doing it her way did, indeed, make things much worse. 

Rachel:  “Now, what do I do?  I’m thinking of going back and doing ‘this-and-that.’”

Me:  “No, I wouldn’t do ‘this-and that’ if I were you.  I would disengage at this point.  You need to step back and let things settle down.  Don’t do anything more to agitate the situation.  Neither of you are in the right emotional state to deal with this rationally at this time.  If you continue on this path of yours, you’ll make it even worse.”

Rachel:  “Yes, but I can’t just sit here and do nothing… I can’t let…”

Me:    “I know it’s hard for you, but you’ll going to have to step back and let things settle down.  You’ll have to let things 'just be'... for a while.”

Rachel:  “I see where you’re coming from.  Thanks for the advice.  I’ll let you get some rest.”

Another hour passes, and the phone rings.  It’s Rachel again.  She's set up a meeting with him, tonight.  She's leaving in a few minutes.  She wants to discuss the matter further— even though an hour ago, he was so angry, and she’s very afraid of what he might say or do when they meet…

Me:  “Rachel!  Why are you meeting him?!  I told you to disengage… that means to disconnect.  That means NOT to talk with him, NOT to meet with him, NOT to see him!  Stop all contact with him until things settle down!”

Rachel:  “I know, but I can’t let things sit.  It’s not in my nature.  I can’t just wait things out.  I know you’re right, but it’s too late.  I can’t turn back.”

Me:  “Rachel!  Don’t go!”

Rachel:  “I have to…”

And the phone line goes dead.

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Thank Goodness for My Day Job

My day job is constantly feeding me the motivation necessary to keep my dream alive.

It’s truly a fertile and futile training ground for me. 

It allows me to practice the fine art of waiting — a skill that I’m finding crucial in keeping my sanity while keeping my dream alive. 

• I wait for others to get back to me. 
• I wait for phone calls and emails to be returned. 
• I wait for corrections to be made and processed. 
• I wait for co-workers to get back from vacations and lunch breaks. 
• I wait for answers to my questions. 
• I wait for approvals and authorizations. 
• I wait on clients.
• I wait for the day I can quit. 
• I wait… and wait… and wait.

While I’m doing all this waiting, I’m also learning lots from my co-workers, supervisors, and managers.  

• They’re teaching me to reduce my expectations so to reduce my disappointments.  
•  They’re illustrating the destructive forces ego and insecurities have on team spirit and productivity.
•  They constantly remind me how the "blame game" erodes a person’s integrity and credibility.

All these skills come in handy when trying to become a published author, so I’m grateful to my day job.
 
Yes, thank goodness for my day job.  If it wasn’t for it, I wouldn’t be pursuing my dream so diligently.



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Shifting Gears

Since it seems that we’re changing direction with the relationship book, Katherine and I have to really sit down and think things through and make some decisions. 

This means I can’t go any further on this project until Katherine and I can meet.

So, to keep myself busy, I’ve turned my attention back to the children’s book. 

I’m pretty sure that we’ll run into the same hurdles with the publishers of children’s books as we have with the adult-nonfiction publishers — which is that we don’t have a following, a built-in audience, or formal and time-tested sales platform that would guarantee book sales for the publisher.

We could self-publish the children’s book, but we’ll need help with the funding of it.  Because of the discussion aid that goes along with the story, we’re talking about a two-book package, with illustrations for each chapter.  All of that takes more money than we have.

With that in mind, I’m brainstorming as to how I can generate some support for the book.  I’ve started sending out requests for help to various groups… hoping that someone would step in for us. 

I’ve sent letters to homeschool publishers, organizations, and associations. 

I’ve reached out to the National Homeschool Association, various parent/teacher associations, the Florida Department of Education, and the Florida School Board Association.

I’ve targeted Target® as well.  Their community outreach programs focus on reading and educational programs for children.  That gave me the idea to write to the president of Target® to see if he had some leads or contacts that would help us get published. 

I’ve even written to Mrs. Laura Bush to see if she would help us out.

We’ll see if any of this bears fruit.  In the meantime, I’ll keep brainstorming…

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