Finding Strength of Self – What SHOULD be Every Authors’ Secret Weapon

I’ve watched the movie Baby Boom dozens of times. It isn’t only the great 80s music that draws me in, though that is definitely a big plus! There is much to love about this throwback romantic comedy, but the part that really hits home for me is the main character, J.C. Wyatt’s determination to make it on her own in the business world. When a distant relative dies and a baby comes into her life, this driven career woman is forced to take a step back in her current job, and eventually realizes she doesn’t really want to make the sacrifices she’s been told she must in order to succeed, IE, love, romance, home and family. J.C. dreams of living in the country, as I always have, and also like me, she hits several bumps in the road before settling into her new life. The one thing that never dies in the cold of winter is her ambition. Against all odds, she turns her passion into a reality.


In the early days of my writing career, my goals were actually a lot more like wishes. I knew what I wanted, but much of my plan was pie-in-the-sky with no real vision of how to get there. I’m still not sure where I’m going in every sense, but I’ve learned much about the craft of writing during the eight years I’ve been a published author, and even more about the publishing industry. The one thing that’s for certain is this business is always changing. Many say it’s getting harder to succeed, not easier.

I’ve been a member of Romance Writers’ of America for about a decade and I never miss an issue of the monthly Romance Writers’ Report, or the President’s address. In recent days, I’ve appreciated the very candid honesty of our presidents, who’ve shared their own frustrations with an industry in which many authors today are finding it difficult to earn a living. In some cases, even those who were earning more in years past are earning less now, and there are several possible factors contributing to why that might be. The market price of ebooks has brought the cost of books down overall, and with the dawning of self-publishing, there are so many books in circulation, it is hard for any author to stand out. Add onto that the fact that so many people find it undesirable or simply impossible to read for pleasure as a result of their busy schedule. Talk about a challenging industry!


Like everything in nature, there comes the good with the bad, and though it might be easy to become discouraged about this thing called writing, I always try to look for the positive side of things. Yesterday, for the first time in a long time, it hit me what that is. 

Last year, I decided, for the first time, to self-publish a book. After previously publishing seven titles with a publisher, I wanted to try something different and I gave it a go. Though I can’t speak for my readers, I imagine they saw very little difference with the change whereas for me, the change was big. Becoming the publisher means taking on every aspect of the publishing process, and it goes well beyond hiring an editor and a cover artist. What I didn’t realize at the time, what I have only just begun to realize now is that taking control of your own destiny is truly empowering. I believe it holds the power to letting your imagination take you to a place you never dreamed possible. That may sound a little vague but as authors, at the end of the day, we want to get our stories into the hands of readers who are going to love them. There’s more than one way of doing that. And rather than believe a myth that we’re incapable of doing it on our own, why not prove we can do just that?

I’m still in the early stages of my career as an author. Though at one time, a ten year stint would have sounded like a long run to me, I realize in the grand scheme of things it isn’t that much time at all. I many not know where I’m going exactly but I do know I’m excited to find out. Taking a page out of J.C. Wyatt’s book, I plan on making the sky the limit.