Hard to believe, but this is the first anniversary of this blog. Thanks to those of you who have taken the time to comment and to check out my website, www.timetowrite.com. In April I will be adding a podcast, and you'll hear about it here first.
One of the themes I will be exploring in one of the first podcasts is the power of asking, as it relates to writers. There is a very simple saying about this: "Don't ask, don't get!" It's strange that most of us don't mind doing a favor for someone, or cooperating when they approach us with a proposition that will result in some gain for both sides--yet we hesitate to ask. Our fear of rejection usually is stronger than the attraction of the possible benefit. For free-lance writers, especially, this is a fear we have to overcome.
I suffer from this as much as anyone else, but when I remember to overcome it, sometimes good things happen. Example 1: recently I read about a blogging and podcasting event that's scheduled for Las Vegas in early November. I'm looking for opportunities to get some attention for my forthcoming book and I thought this event would be a natural. I emailed the organizers, offering to give a talk on writing for bloggers/podcasters. I had an enthusiastic response saying that's exactly the kind of topic they're looking for. We're still working out the details, but it looks like that's going to work out.
Example 2: I noticed that there is a school of public relations here that has a new session starting soon. I wrote to them, offering to have them use my book as a case study. Their students could practice their new skills by getting some PR for my book--real world experience for them, possible media attention for me. Win-win. They never answered my letter.
The moral of the stories: you win some, you lose some. But if you don't ask, you lose all.