I’ve mentioned this before, here and in some of my articles, so hang with me while I tell it again.
My dad dropped out of high school as a sophomore during the Great Depression. He packed a bag and jumped the first freight train he could find in Iowa, and for the two years he rode the rails in search of spare jobs. He would do whatever was offered, make a few bucks, and send that money back to his parents to help them pay the farm bills.
I want to stop and let that sink in for a moment. I think we all live a reasonably comfortable life. Oh sure, it would be nice to have some extra money, but by and large most who are reading this have the comforts of home and have food in the pantry. I doubt seriously if any out there reading this are so desperate that they need to pack a bag, jump on a freight train, and leave home for two years in search of money to pay bills.
I find it amazing that he did that, and he certainly wasn’t alone on his travels.
Anyway, this was the man who was my father, and you better believe he taught his son lessons about self-reliance and determination . . . lessons that have stayed with me now for sixty-eight years.
My dad would not tolerate excuses, and he wouldn’t tolerate failure. In his opinion, failure came when you gave up, and giving up was not an option…thus, failure did not happen! End of story!
There’s a point to this story . . . I promise!
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill
REFLECTION OF THE DAY
So here’s the thing: I refuse to give up on my writing journey. I am determined to be a successful novelist. I may not be another John Steinbeck, but I do believe I can be a financially-successful writer. I just have to find the winning path.
Enter The Urban Farming Coloring Book!
I just finished my first coloring book, and I had tons of fun making it, and now I hope that sucker outsells all of my novels combined.
Why?
Because guerilla marketing is all about getting your name out into the world any way possible, for the least amount of money, and I aim to do just that with the coloring book. This summer I’ll sell my coloring books at farmers markets, where we also sell our quail eggs, and on the back flap of the coloring book is a reference to my novels. I’ll also have point-of-sale materials to hand out at the markets, and people will get to know me as an author and not just a producer of coloring books.
It all ties together!
It is all about William D. Holland, Author!
It is all about my goal!
HOW ABOUT YOU?
What’s holding you back from your goal? Maybe it’s time for you to step out of the box and try something outrageous.
Just sayin’
THE SHOUT OUT OF THE DAY
Since marketing is the theme of the day, I’m going to give a shout out to a marketing genius….Heidi Thorne…and you can find her on Facebook by 
following this link. Heidi shares her information in a practical manner that is easy to understand and oh, so helpful. I hope you’ll check her out.
MORE NEXT WEEK
So much to do, so little time.
Until next week, best wishes and love always.
Bill
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 