Gina Rae Mitchell

Your Writing Matters by Colleen M. Story | Review

How to Banish Self-Doubt, Trust Yourself, and Go the Distance

A book blog tour from iRead Book Tours.

Thank you to the author, publisher, & Lauren at iRead for providing me the information for this tour.

Book Details

Your Writing Matters: How to Banish Self-Doubt, Trust Yourself, and Go the Distance by Colleen M. Story
Published by Midchannel Press on 06/01/2021
Genres: Educational, Non-fiction
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 263

You could spend years wondering whether you’re meant to be a writer—or you could read this book.

You write day after day. You dream of bestseller’s lists and royalty checks. But despite your best marketing efforts, those dreams remain out of reach.

You start to wonder if you’re wasting your time. Does your writing even matter?

Yes, it’s tough out there, and you have a right to feel the way you do.
Society’s focus on money and fame doesn’t make it any easier. If you’re not producing results in the form of royalties and recognition, others may discount the value of your creations, making it difficult to get the support you need to keep going. Everything changes once you make “the decision.”

In "Your Writing Matters," author Colleen M. Story — a long-time professional writer and writing coach — will help you discover whether you truly have a writer’s DNA. She examines:
• The scientific evidence behind the pressure you feel to make money with your work
• The reasons why fame and notoriety are so attractive and discouraging
• The myth of the most talented writers
• Why book marketing can seem so exhausting
• Why you feel you have to justify the time you spend writing
Step by step, you’ll gain a clear-eyed look at the challenges a writer faces in the outside world. You’ll also learn:
• What hidden benefits writing may have in your life
• Whether writing is part of your life’s purpose
• When it’s best to leave writing behind

Every writer, somewhere along the way, grapples with the question of whether to continue on the writing journey. Don’t waste your precious time in indecision. Let Your Writing Matters guide you to your truth and you’ll never look back again.

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Source: iRead Book Tours, Received from the author or publisher for review.

 

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Purchase Links for Your Writing Matters

Amazon     Amazon UK     BookShop/IndieBound

Barnes & Noble      The Book Depository 

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Book Trailer

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Book Excerpt from Chapter 3 of Your Writing Matters 

Why “Becoming a Famous Writer” Is Such a Difficult Goal

I’m not saying you can never become a famous writer. But I do want to help you see how difficult it truly is to save yourself from such blame if you never reach this elusive goal.

The Realities of the Book Market

These are the cold, hard facts about the book business:

• Each year, more books are published than the year before. In 2017, self-publishing grew at a rate of more than 28 percent—an 8 percent increase over 2016—according to ISBN agency Bowker. The total number of self-published books grew from about 786,000 to over one million for the first time in one And that’s not counting traditionally published books. This means that a market already stiff with competition gets even more competitive by the year.
• Books must compete with many other forms of entertainment for people’s attention, and it’s only getting harder. According to a 2018 Pew Research Center survey, nearly a quarter of American adults hadn’t read a single book in the past year. A recent American Times Use Survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that Americans over the age of fifteen spend about 0.28 hours, or about 16.8 minutes, reading for personal interest each day. That’s down from twenty-one minutes in 2007.

This shouldn’t stop you from seeking approval and fame as a writer. There’s nothing wrong with dreaming big. What often happens, though, is that when we writers don’t achieve our lofty goals, we end up feeling empty, discouraged, and disheartened. At times like these, we ask ourselves, “Does my writing matter?”

As if those feelings aren’t bad enough, they can get worse when cousin Eddy, work colleague Elaine, or neighbor Judy looks disbelieving when you assert yourself as a writer. Unfortunately, this can wrongly reinforce the feeling that what matters isn’t the quality of the work itself, but how well the work—and the author—are known. Indeed, you can blame it on our culture, which every day emphasizes that only those who are famous are valued.

Writers Need Readers

Most of us will eventually set aside the “big money” dream of a $100,000 per year writing income in favor of more modest success. Once we realize the challenge and understand it’s an uphill battle that can be approached with a more realistic view, we gain the ability to celebrate smaller successes as the achievements they are.

It would be nice if we could do something similar with the desire for fame—or, more accurately, the desire to be seen. We could just write and not care about whether we become known. Unfortunately, such an approach would result in most writers feeling unhappy and unfulfilled.

The sticking point is that the writer-reader relationship is critical for a writer’s development. Without it, a writer not only misses this critical interaction but also lacks the type of feedback readership can provide—the feedback that compels an author to improve with each succeeding work.

A writer needs this necessary back-and-forth—publish the book, get audience feedback, work on the next book, publish it, get audience feedback, start on the next book, etc.—so they don’t feel discouraged and invisible. It takes positive emotions inspired by reader feedback to nurture a prosperous career.

But what happens when, after a few lackluster book launches, a writer settles for being satisfied with writing works that are rarely read? This is a difficult prospect. Who among us, even the most creative, are willing to devote hours and hours to something few will acknowledge?

The worst-case scenario is that the writer gives up, believing that a lack of readership is a commentary on the quality of their work rather than a failed marketing campaign or a young author platform. This mistaken assumption misleads the writer into living an uninspired and unfulfilled life, believing that their gut instincts to write were all wrong.

Somewhere in between these two extremes is where most of us live, battling against our discouraged feelings while returning again and again to the blank page, running ourselves ragged trying to build up a readership however we can.

What I am telling you is that writers who enjoy fulfilling, rewarding careers—even if they don’t sell a lot of books—are the ones who find ways to develop healthy relationships with their readers. Rather than seeking money or fame, they’ve learned that it’s more important to seek connection.

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My thoughts on Your Writing Matters

Are you a writer facing self-doubt? Then, this is the book for you!

Colleen M. Story will talk you through your self-doubts. She writes like she’s your best friend offering solid, sound advice.

The book is broken down into three sections that explore why writers suffer from self-doubt, the benefits of writing, and that scary introspective self-analysis of whether you should be a writer. Throughout each section, the author has a series of questions and answers to help you better understand your goals about being a writer.

As a reader and book reviewer, it’s refreshing to see Ms. Story point out that perhaps a connection with the reader is more important than the fame of being a published author. Although obviously, both would be even better.

Your Writing Matters is appropriate for those still dreaming of becoming a writer and published authors. In addition, there is an excellent reference section at the end of the book with many valuable resources.

 

I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

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Giveaway!

Enter to win a $15 Amazon Gift Card courtesy of Colleen M. Story, author of YOUR WRITING MATTERS! (one winner/USA only) (ends July 5)

YOUR WRITING MATTERS Book Tour Giveaway

Visit more stops on the tour for extra chances to win!

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Purchase the book online from a local book store.

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