In Practice

This month, we’re talking a lot about being quietly ambitious — what it is, what it means, how it works, how it’s applied, etc. But I’ve been sitting on the idea and the principle of it for much longer than it took to write the articles for this issue. It began in earnest, actually, before I published Forged in Fire: Writing Fiction to Heal because I very strategically used it for that launch. And I want to talk a little bit about what that means and what it looked like in practice and what it still looks like in practice.

Pre-Launch

Forged in Fire was not my first book launch. I’ve published 20+ books (granted they were all fiction and this was my first nonfiction book which is handled a bit differently). But I knew from the get-go that I wanted this launch to feel very differently. I wanted it to be as low-pressure as possible. I wanted to feel as if this accomplishment was just that — an accomplishment and not some race that had a pre-determined endpoint or finish line. I am fortunate in that my book sales are not determining the amount of food I can put on the table as I currently have a day job that does that. So for me, having a “number” of book sales as a goal was not something I was interested in or needed. For me, going into the launch, what I wanted most in my quietly ambitious way was conversation. If I could get people talking or at least have people asking questions about the book on release day or release week, that was my goal.

Here’s the thing I think a lot of people forget about setting goals — the things they can and can’t control. Setting a certain # of book sales is dependent on other people making the choice to buy my book. I can’t force people to do that. They have to make that choice. I can do a lot of things to influence that choice. But it’s still their choice — and one that is a much harder one to make as it has to do with finances. But asking someone to respond to a question that I pose? That’s a much easier ask. It’s still their choice to respond to it… but it requires so much less of them. It feels like a variable that is much more within my control. And… it adds a more human element of connection.

So when I thought about what I really wanted out of my book launch day/week — I decided I did not want to tie it to sales. I wanted to tie it to the conversations that were happening around the book. Were there people talking about it? Were people getting excited about it? Were people asking questions about it? Were people sharing posts about it?

Launch Day/Week

When launch day/week arrived I was over the moon because my quietly ambitious approach had worked. Not only was I feeling no stress about it, but people were talking. My support systems had come out in full force and I felt so much love and encouragement that I cried at least three or four times that day. Happy tears, of course. Every time I got a message that said something like, “I just got your book!” or “I’m so excited to read your book!” or someone forwarded a selfie holding my book baby, I grinned ear to ear. This was exactly what I’d wanted to happen. It didn’t matter how many sales I’d made. I could have made 5 sales or 500 and it wouldn’t have mattered because I’d reached my beautifully quietly ambitious goal. People were talking about the book.

Beyond Launch Week

As I’m sure most of you know, the goals and/or work of a book doesn’t end after its launch. It just enters a new phase. And this next phase has required me to think long and hard about what new quietly ambitious goals I want to set out and achieve. I’ve thought about it a lot actually because I feel like there’s so much more to this book and method yet to be. I see so much potential in so many ways. And you know what? So do a lot of other people! In the weeks since its publication, I’ve had strangers reach out and ask me if I’ve thought about getting the book into domestic abuse shelters, partial hospitalization programs, addiction recovery centers, adoption agencies, etc. The possibilities are blooming and blossoming right before my eyes and while it’s overwhelming in a way — it’s also beautiful.

I also know that if I don’t find a way to work in the quietly ambitious approach, my old patterns and habits will find a way to ruin me before I even get started. This setup has the potential to drag me into a serious case of burnout. I see the red flags and if I want to protect myself and the integrity of the book, I know I will have to find a way to balance my goals with intentions.

So what does the next phase look like?

I’m not entirely sure, yet. I know that I’ll most likely be running the Writing Fiction to Heal workshop in the fall.

I know that I want to speak at events in the midwest if I can.

I know that there are places this book belongs and could help facilitate healing if the right people are put into my pathway to make it happen.

But I won’t force any of that. And I won’t punish myself if I can’t “make” any of that happen.

I will continue trying to stimulate conversation around the book because I know for sure that is the one thing within my control and love to do. I know I can direct people to the appropriate resources if they want to find out more information.

Most importantly, I know that my quietly ambitious goal to keep the integrity of this book alive will be my main focus for the remainder of this year.

And that’s enough for me to know right now. ❤️