A Whole New Meaning for "Indy" Author #IWSG
A couple of weeks ago Raiders of the Lost Ark came back to the big screen at a theater by my house It was SO exciting. It was also the first time I’ve seen the movie since hearing the infamous Amy Farrah Fowler theory on the film. If you don’t know, the fictional neurobiologist says the movie has a glaring flaw in that Indiana Jones has no impact on the outcome.
Do you ever feel like that as a writer? Like no matter how much time and effort you put into crafting stories, putting them out into the world, and then implementing brilliant marketing strategies, you always end up in the same place? Like all your work has no impact whatsoever on the literary world, much less your bank account?
Yeah, me, too. But then I figured out that Mizz Fowler's theory is full of monkey poop. Allow me to explain...
I had a new book release on June 15, and it had an awesome opening week. Amazon rankings like I've never seen before. All this without the help of a romance publisher, which I for too long convinced myself would provide the support, expertise, and credibility I'd need to succeed. And then guess what happened - Nickiana Jones friggin' smiled.
Y'know how whenever Indy allows himself a smile, a moment to revel in his success things suddenly take a downward turn? Yeah, that. Moving into week two, I realized my opening week sales wouldn't propagate all on their own. I couldn't just sit back and expect more and more new readers to continue to find my book. And THEN during my struggle to accept that I must regroup and continue to work my bum off, I saw the flaw in Amy Farrah Fowler's reasoning.
The point of Indiana Jones isn't that he succeeds in his quest to find the Ark and bring it to a museum for research. Nope. The point of Indy is that no matter how many times that man is shot down, beat up, bested, and thrown to the snakes, he gets up, resets his sights on his goal, and goes after it again and again and again.
Maybe I'm just too stupid or stubborn to give up, but I choose to be an Indy author. He may not always win, but he has way more fun that Belloq, right?
As part of my ongoing quest to figure this publishing thing out...
(you may need to think back to your pre-writer days)
&
THANK YOU!
This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writers Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh.
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Comments
Now all I can think about is that TBBT episode, how Sheldon then tries to ruin Amy's favorite show. :)
That we keep fighting is all that matters.
Jones did achieve his goal - he wanted to keep the ark out of the hands of the Nazis.
It would be so fun to see that movie on the big screen again! Just seeing this pic of Indy smiling made my heart melt. <3
Thanks for the boost - I needed that!
Terrific analogy. LOVE the AMY Farrah Fowler dig... so fun. Who is she anyway... some nerdy brainiac. BORING. lol.
I had to smile while reading your last few paragraphs... you are a TRUE TAURUS. Bulls rule! lol And we are STUBBORN when it comes to things we really want.... like LUNCH! LOL WHEN?
I've been in a major slump lately, so I need to keep looking at Indy's winning smile... if that doesn't motivate, nothing will...
Getting word out and about is super tough!
Anna from elements of emaginette
I grabbed a copy of your book on release day. Have it on my list to read and review. My list has gotten longer so takes longer to get through it but never fear I will get there. Congrats on the release. I have an Author Spotlight too if you ever wanna make an appearance. I like your attitude and you are absolutely right about it will not keep it up if you do nothing.
It is the law of motion: Condense version of Newton's 3 laws of motion.
"Newton's First Law of Motion: I. Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it. This we recognize as essentially Galileo's concept of inertia, and this is often termed simply the "Law of Inertia".
Juneta @ Writer's Gambit
Great post. :)
Good luck with all your own efforts. I am sure they make some difference; even if its just giving you something to do instead of fret over outcomes :)
Life is a journey, eh?
I took the survey and tried to take it with pre-writer thoughts. I think before I knew reviews mattered, I really didn't think of doing them at all. Often, friends and family members are surprised that I say that reviews matter . . . sigh. And, I've been asking for three years now. Plus, I have some Luddite readers who don't know how to use Amazon reviews or have Amazon accounts . . . or aren't allowed to use the internet by their parents (this is with some of my teen readers from the more conservative home-school community that believes the internet is out to kidnap their children.)