Welcome to Open Book Blog Hop. You can find us every Monday talking about the writing life. This week, we're talking about what would happen if our books took off tomorrow, with enormous worldwide interest and sales. I hope you'll check out all the posts: you'll find the links at the bottom of this post.
That's a favorite daydream of mine. Somehow someone with a huge following stumbles across my work, falls in love with it, and uses that big megaphone of theirs to proclaim to the universe how witty, inspiring, entertaining, and life-changing my Menopausal Superhero novels are and boom! I'm there!
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Now the question today asks if I'm prepared for that dream to come true. And honestly, probably not. I've spent my life somewhere between poverty and middle class with dips back and forth. I've never had "big bucks" in my life and have known very few people who do in any kind of personal way.
But you know what? I can learn.
I've managed being a "Greaser" among "Socs" before--I was that one public school scion among private school graduates in grad school. I stuck it out in the Chapel Hill Mom's club for nearly a year, even though they didn't know what to do with a mom with a day job and no nanny.
The key is pretending that it's not that you can't afford better, it's that you choose what you have. No, I don't have a beach house, but it's because I like visiting different beaches every time I go. No, I don't wear designer brands, but it's because I'm socially conscious and won't wear brands that use exploitative labor practices.
See? I can fake it!
Could I handle the "fame"? I think, yes! Being a famous author isn't like being an actress or politician. Very few people know what their favorite authors look like or where they live. There are only a handful of living writers I would recognize if we passed one another on the street.
Unless I start behaving badly and tweeting obnoxious things to get myself cancelled, I could quietly enjoy the bigger royalty checks, slip away from my day job, spoil my children a little, and travel more.
So, yeah. I think I can take it. So feel free, people of the Internet, to spread the word and make me a social media darling. I promise to do more good than evil with the money, and keep on writing books!
Want to see how other writers feel about fame and fortune on the horizon? Check out the other posts in this blog hop at this link:
I loved when you said "I think I could learn." What a great fantasy to contemplate actually happening. I'll look forward to your other Monday posts.
ReplyDeleteThat would be great, wouldn't it? Connecting with a big-time author who would push your book? Sadly, the authors I connect with are having a hard time with publicity too!
ReplyDeleteI get your Greaser vs Socs reference :-) Go Ponyboy. And I get the Chapel Hill Mom's club as my daughter now teaches in the Carrboro Chapel Hill district. And I spread the word - I tweeted.
ReplyDeleteWhatever else, I would try not to let it change me, I like being who I am. And I push other authors where I can.
ReplyDeleteI've found that the key is being happy with what you've got. Yes, I'd like more, but if it happens it happens. If it doesn't, then it doesn't.
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