So, what happens when things go wrong? I have always lived by two maxims. The first to live my life so there are no emergencies. This means that I plan everything, and even my backup plan has a backup plan. Yes, I studied planning in grad school, but I have always known that the disability community is expert at problem-solving because we live in a world that is not built for us.
The other maxim is that bad things do occasionally happen to good people. Lately, I’ve had two very painful lessons. Since I started the self-publishing process, I have discovered that the self-publishing business is loaded with cons. I mean bad actors who take your money for things they have no intention of delivering.
In the beginning, I wasted money on things. I started wising up and fought to get some money back on a couple of dirty deals. But I still find myself susceptible to a person who is charming and says nice things about my book. I want to believe the best of people.
I navigated a mess this week by pulling out of something when I was almost too far in. I did not lose money this time, but for about two weeks, I allowed myself to believe that a dream was coming true. In some ways, it was crueler than just losing money. It is a dream that wilted on the vine.
I could reproach myself, but the one thing I know about Persistence (the book and the woman who wrote it) is that I am resilient. I will pivot to another plan. Now that I am older, I find myself more willing to take risks but my mother did not raise a fool.
In closing, I recommend the book When Bad Things Happen to Good People if you are navigating a catastrophic loss. And if you are an independently published author, I recommend the Writer Beware Blog: https://writerbeware.blog/
Want to Buy a Copy of Persistence?
Paperback:
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Hardback:
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