Control is going to have to be relinquished in various ways, all the time. You have 3 options, you can bitch about it and get nowhere, you can do it the way the rules say you have to and move on, or you can do it the way the rules say you have to until you can find a way around it.
This has been a very hard lesson for me. I don’t usually consider myself a control freak about most things. I can roll with the punches and let go of a lot in every day life, but when it comes to my writing business, I become a bear. I want my website to function the way I want it to. I want my service to my customers and clients to function a certain way, and I want that level of service to be returned to me.
I don’t have control over the way other people run their businesses, though. I don’t have control over the way a publication service wants things submitted to them. I just have to do things that way, no matter how difficult or complicated they seem, if I want to be published there.
I run into this a lot because 80% of my customers shop on Amazon, and regardless of how rocky my relationship with Amazon becomes, this is the reality. I have to let go of that “I want it my way” mind set or I’m going to lose 80% of my customer base. That is the reality. It’s the same with any publication service you use.
I’ve spent some time griping about how messed up the system is because I literally want to be able to do whatever the hell I want to with my books, but until I’m able to publish them 100% on my own (which I will likely never be able to do because I don’t own a print shop and don’t ever plan to) I’m going to have to deal with relinquishing some control.
I have found it is so much easier and less stressful to give up the control so my customers get things the way they like instead of forcing them to change how they do things, until I’m able to figure something else out. I say it’s easier. It’s not. It’s more work on my end trying to find a way to work around it, but it is less stressful.
It gets my stuff out into the world now, and that is the bottom line. Getting out there and getting people interested enough to stick with me while I figure out how to do it better and my way. It’s a hard lesson to learn and accept, but when you do, life gets far less frustrating and stressful. Learn to do what needs doing, figure out what needs doing to get what you want, and work toward that.
Happy Writing!
Christy ♥
P. S. Just a few reminders.
1) Don’t forget about the 12 Books in 12 Months Challenge. You can start today and join the facebook group to share the experience with others. https://www.facebook.com/groups/198875410887406/
2) This month’s coupon code for the Christy Mann Author Swag Shop is 5Jan2019. Use it to get a special discount when you place an order of your favorite items from the swag shop! Don’t forget that 100% of the proceeds from the Life On Your Terms line go to building the Life On Your Terms Project fund.
3) Keep an eye out for Fogoyle: A Short Story 5 (January 11th) and Terrible Friend (January 25th) releases and check your email to see what books are up for grabs FOR FREE this month!
And finally, #4) Congratulations to this weeks Trivia Question Winners Brandon Hardison and Brandon Hardison!!!
New questions are posted every Thursday on the Christy Mann Author Page and in the Fogoyle Fan Group. Read up and you could be next weeks winner!
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