I find myself hiding away in a small cramped hotel room in hot and humid Houston. Lacking my GPS, I really have no idea where I am. This is a good thing. I have a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach as I wrap up my work day and hunker down to spend time concentrating on the last edits I will be able to make to the book. This feeling is definitely a new one. Not good. Not bad. If I stop to think about it I am directed to the power of my own intention. The intention I had to write my story and to help as many small business owners who would possibly listen to what they can do to fulfill their dream of real success.
Recipes From A Life is a reality. That is the feeling in the pit of my stomach. This is really happening. Despite the odds. In spite of the people who told me I couldn’t do it or would probably never really do it, I am really going to be one of the 2% who actually publish a book.
I’ve been dreaming about ‘my’ flock; about the people that I am going to be able to help. Dreaming about the weight I am going to take off of their shoulders. Dreaming about the power I am going to help them realize. I am going to tell people that they can indeed enjoy their business and that running it doesn’t need to be a 24/7 exhausting mess. I am going to be able to tell entrepreneurs far and wide what they need to do to run their business in a manner that will work for them and show them how to do it. I am going to teach them how to manage their business from the inside out so that they can enjoy all the other aspects of their lives that are important to them.
I was lucky enough to speak to an association in Corpus last week. Only about 100 people but each one of them was fabulous. It was a very engaging ‘speech’ on the differences between managing and leading and I had a great time. The group was interactive, the best kind and what I wish for as a speaker. Afterwards, the leader gave me a gift and more than one participant wanted to take their picture with me. I am not a picture taker and was quite uncomfortable. In thinking about this event later as I thanked God for the opportunity, I realized something. They wanted to take my picture because I made an impression. I offered a nugget of information that they wanted to remember with a photo. Wow.
I promise myself that I am going to spend more time hiding away in small hotel rooms enjoying the process of this book journey. I promise to enjoy and savor every moment until its birth in just a few months. Then I am going to sign copies and speak. Sign more copies and speak some more. I am going to tend to the flock with everything I have in me and then some. Then when it is all said and done, I am going to escape to bigger and more wonderful hotel rooms in fabulous faraway places!
Recipes From A Life: Essential Ingredients for Your Small Business
Showing posts with label small business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small business. Show all posts
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
Next phase, conceptual editing. Tate Publishing and my editor are going to want me to make decisions. They don’t know that I am not making decisions right now. Not making big decisions and not making little decisions. I think that I won’t be able to make any decisions until at least Halloween when I know the Texas temperatures have cooled and my children and I are all safely settled into our new homes. No decision making is going to be possible until the leaves are turning up north and the weather permits me to drive with the lid down on my car. No decisions will be made until cool and stiff breezes have cleared my head of the consequences of all the decisions I have had to make over the last 18 years. 18 years, exactly. I have decision making exhaustion.
As a small business owner and single Mom, decision making demands have been a constant and almost unbearable part of my world. In order to survive, I had to make large and small decisions. I made terrible decisions and I made great decisions. Some were made after extensive deliberation and some were made on the spot. I have been held accountable for every single decision I was forced to make. Many carry huge regret while others are still heralded as the best decisions I ever made. Some will affect me for the rest of my life and I can hardly bare to think about them and their far reaching effects. Others were but a moment on my big screen.
In the beginning, I made all my decisions on my own. I didn’t trust very many people at all and was, frankly, running exhausted and scared. Business growing, small children, mortgage, expensive divorce(s), you get the picture. I just did what I felt I had to do because at that moment in time I didn’t trust anyone. I find this interesting now because looking back, that was during a time when I trusted myself least of all. Yet, I still forced myself to make all my own decisions without counsel. What terrible decisions I made and what an ugly person I was to be around as I was making some of them.
My business grew and my children grew and the dynamics of my life changed. Instead of needing to be so hands on with both my business and my children, I noticed that I was able to use my brain power a little bit more often than my physical power. I was learning from my mistakes. I was training employees to do the tasks that in the past only I had completed. Consequently, I was able to concentrate on the cerebral side of my company. I learned the hard way that in order to really see progress and success, I needed to empower people around me. I needed to learn how to trust and depend on my employees and business associates. That meant giving some control to my banker, CPA, web man and insurance man. That meant giving some power and even a key to the employees working in the evenings.
That meant realizing that my company could grow even bigger and stronger if I didn’t need to do everything myself. That meant that I didn’t have to make ALL the decisions. Could I pick up the pieces if a bad decision was made when I wasn’t on watch? Absolutely. I learned what an amazing feeling it is to give some power away and watch it flourish and blossom. How great it felt to watch an employee stand taller and sound more decisive and strong when they were given the ability to come up with a plan without asking any questions.
I am realizing now all these years later and as the book is getting closer and closer to release date, that I want to give the decisions away again. I want small business owners all over the globe to know that they don’t need to make all of their decisions all by themselves. That they may not be the experts in every single area of their business and they just might need to place trust and power in others. In order to make the right decisions, they might not need to be the decision maker. They might need to empower those around them to take charge.
In order to make the right decisions right now, I need to not be my decision maker. In exhaustion, I want to give my decisions away to someone else. Tell me where to be, when to be there and even what I should be wearing. It’s too hot outside for me to decide.
As a small business owner and single Mom, decision making demands have been a constant and almost unbearable part of my world. In order to survive, I had to make large and small decisions. I made terrible decisions and I made great decisions. Some were made after extensive deliberation and some were made on the spot. I have been held accountable for every single decision I was forced to make. Many carry huge regret while others are still heralded as the best decisions I ever made. Some will affect me for the rest of my life and I can hardly bare to think about them and their far reaching effects. Others were but a moment on my big screen.
In the beginning, I made all my decisions on my own. I didn’t trust very many people at all and was, frankly, running exhausted and scared. Business growing, small children, mortgage, expensive divorce(s), you get the picture. I just did what I felt I had to do because at that moment in time I didn’t trust anyone. I find this interesting now because looking back, that was during a time when I trusted myself least of all. Yet, I still forced myself to make all my own decisions without counsel. What terrible decisions I made and what an ugly person I was to be around as I was making some of them.
My business grew and my children grew and the dynamics of my life changed. Instead of needing to be so hands on with both my business and my children, I noticed that I was able to use my brain power a little bit more often than my physical power. I was learning from my mistakes. I was training employees to do the tasks that in the past only I had completed. Consequently, I was able to concentrate on the cerebral side of my company. I learned the hard way that in order to really see progress and success, I needed to empower people around me. I needed to learn how to trust and depend on my employees and business associates. That meant giving some control to my banker, CPA, web man and insurance man. That meant giving some power and even a key to the employees working in the evenings.
That meant realizing that my company could grow even bigger and stronger if I didn’t need to do everything myself. That meant that I didn’t have to make ALL the decisions. Could I pick up the pieces if a bad decision was made when I wasn’t on watch? Absolutely. I learned what an amazing feeling it is to give some power away and watch it flourish and blossom. How great it felt to watch an employee stand taller and sound more decisive and strong when they were given the ability to come up with a plan without asking any questions.
I am realizing now all these years later and as the book is getting closer and closer to release date, that I want to give the decisions away again. I want small business owners all over the globe to know that they don’t need to make all of their decisions all by themselves. That they may not be the experts in every single area of their business and they just might need to place trust and power in others. In order to make the right decisions, they might not need to be the decision maker. They might need to empower those around them to take charge.
In order to make the right decisions right now, I need to not be my decision maker. In exhaustion, I want to give my decisions away to someone else. Tell me where to be, when to be there and even what I should be wearing. It’s too hot outside for me to decide.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
12 Days of Silence-Yes, 12!
Two years ago right now I was submitting my application to attend a silent retreat in an Ashram in Northeast Texas. Twelve days with zero talking, very light vegan food and lots of sitting in the lotus position. No phones, no hairdryers, no makeup, no radio, no TV, no electrical anything. No reading. Nothing but you and your soul. Nothing but space, time and quiet to dig really deep. Painfully and necessarily deep. Everyone in my world thought I was bonkers to have committed myself to such a ‘holiday’. The thought that someone as out-spoken and seemingly extroverted as I could never go away for almost two weeks and not say a word was unthinkable.
To me, the idea of silence was a dreamy.
I don’t think a lot of the people in my world know me very well. Extroverts get their stimulation from the people around them. They energize themselves by feeding off of the people, personalities and events in their circle. Introverts are energized by their internal being. I am an introvert. I know how to, can and prefer to energize myself. I am happy to keep myself company. While I just adore being around others, I don’t need to be surrounded in order to be peaceful and content. I don’t have to jump up to answer the phone each time it rings in case I might be missing something going on outside my space. Most of the time I would prefer my phone not ring at all.
My favorite dinner party is the small group of 4 or 6 around a round table where meaningful conversation including all guests can take place. I am not comfortable in the large party where the room needs to be worked and everyone greeted. To an introvert like me, the large party where I might not already know everyone requires me to ‘put my personality on’. To an extrovert, a large party is stimulating and exciting. It takes me days to gear myself up for a large event and hours after to calm down. To an extravert, a large event can unfold on the spur of the moment and they are thrilled.
Have my circumstances forced me to be an extrovert? Absolutely. Does this exhaust me? Absolutely. Am I exhausted by life right now? Yes. Am I anxious to get to my authentic self? Yes. I am anxious to slow down. Settle in. Eliminate drama. Have meaningful conversations with people who matter to me.
Tate has asked me to be quiet. Specifically, ‘the month of July will be a quiet month’, while we work on your manuscript. The universe is unfolding before me and it is making itself known through Tate. I know they are working on the book and they have asked me to be quiet.
I have been begging to be quiet for a long, long time.
Once final manuscripts are submitted to production, Tate makes it very clear that no changes should be made. Apparently, most people tend to want to tweak and revise what they have written and unfortunately, if they make changes they are not usually for the better. This was a relief to hear. I thought, my manuscript is out of my hands after working, fretting and praying on it for so long. I could leave it be and know that the process had begun. I will admit that I am fretting a little bit now. I’ve made a few omissions in my writing and I am worried.
I have not instructed my small business owners to take any quiet time. While I ask them to work hard to define their ‘time’ and the ‘time’ they will take to do specific things for their business, I have not asked them to take any time for themselves. I have not asked them to be silent. If we do not get silent, how can we evaluate our actions?
We spend so much time on Plan A, enacting Plan A, throwing ourselves into Plan A, fighting to make Plan A ‘the’ plan. What if we don’t take any quiet time and come up with a Plan B? If Plan A just isn’t what the universe has ordered, there has got to be a calmly calculated Plan B waiting in the wings. How are we going to see the whole picture if we don’t take any quiet time? How are we going to be successful if we don’t get silent?
How can we honor ourselves and the position we have in the world if we don’t take time to be introspective?
I didn’t make it to my retreat. Lia had just gone off to college and I couldn’t bring myself to be away from Casey or away from the phone in case Lia needed me during her first critical weeks away. Not going was the right decision and I didn’t have any trouble making it. As a very blessed and happy Momma it would have been selfish of me to leave during that time of transition. But I just haven’t been able to get the idea of 12 days of silence in that remote location out of my mind. I think about it, dream about it and crave it, constantly.
Silent Retreat-Plan B. Plan A has run its course.
To me, the idea of silence was a dreamy.
I don’t think a lot of the people in my world know me very well. Extroverts get their stimulation from the people around them. They energize themselves by feeding off of the people, personalities and events in their circle. Introverts are energized by their internal being. I am an introvert. I know how to, can and prefer to energize myself. I am happy to keep myself company. While I just adore being around others, I don’t need to be surrounded in order to be peaceful and content. I don’t have to jump up to answer the phone each time it rings in case I might be missing something going on outside my space. Most of the time I would prefer my phone not ring at all.
My favorite dinner party is the small group of 4 or 6 around a round table where meaningful conversation including all guests can take place. I am not comfortable in the large party where the room needs to be worked and everyone greeted. To an introvert like me, the large party where I might not already know everyone requires me to ‘put my personality on’. To an extrovert, a large party is stimulating and exciting. It takes me days to gear myself up for a large event and hours after to calm down. To an extravert, a large event can unfold on the spur of the moment and they are thrilled.
Have my circumstances forced me to be an extrovert? Absolutely. Does this exhaust me? Absolutely. Am I exhausted by life right now? Yes. Am I anxious to get to my authentic self? Yes. I am anxious to slow down. Settle in. Eliminate drama. Have meaningful conversations with people who matter to me.
Tate has asked me to be quiet. Specifically, ‘the month of July will be a quiet month’, while we work on your manuscript. The universe is unfolding before me and it is making itself known through Tate. I know they are working on the book and they have asked me to be quiet.
I have been begging to be quiet for a long, long time.
Once final manuscripts are submitted to production, Tate makes it very clear that no changes should be made. Apparently, most people tend to want to tweak and revise what they have written and unfortunately, if they make changes they are not usually for the better. This was a relief to hear. I thought, my manuscript is out of my hands after working, fretting and praying on it for so long. I could leave it be and know that the process had begun. I will admit that I am fretting a little bit now. I’ve made a few omissions in my writing and I am worried.
I have not instructed my small business owners to take any quiet time. While I ask them to work hard to define their ‘time’ and the ‘time’ they will take to do specific things for their business, I have not asked them to take any time for themselves. I have not asked them to be silent. If we do not get silent, how can we evaluate our actions?
We spend so much time on Plan A, enacting Plan A, throwing ourselves into Plan A, fighting to make Plan A ‘the’ plan. What if we don’t take any quiet time and come up with a Plan B? If Plan A just isn’t what the universe has ordered, there has got to be a calmly calculated Plan B waiting in the wings. How are we going to see the whole picture if we don’t take any quiet time? How are we going to be successful if we don’t get silent?
How can we honor ourselves and the position we have in the world if we don’t take time to be introspective?
I didn’t make it to my retreat. Lia had just gone off to college and I couldn’t bring myself to be away from Casey or away from the phone in case Lia needed me during her first critical weeks away. Not going was the right decision and I didn’t have any trouble making it. As a very blessed and happy Momma it would have been selfish of me to leave during that time of transition. But I just haven’t been able to get the idea of 12 days of silence in that remote location out of my mind. I think about it, dream about it and crave it, constantly.
Silent Retreat-Plan B. Plan A has run its course.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
All About the Sign!
As you know, I am a very visual person. You can tell me anything and I get it. Show me, however and I am all over it. This being said, yes, I am thrilled about the opportunity to sign a contract with Tate Publishing. Tate who now had in their hands my new baby, The Book. I decided that I couldn't move forward unless I saw Tate in person. I needed to meet the people who were going to work with me to birth my dream.
Off to Oklahoma I go. I used to live in Tulsa and I loved it there. It was a very happy time in my life and I clearly remember the stunning seasons. I used to travel from Tulsa to Oklahoma City to do some freelance work way back when and loved it. You will love this: The last time I was in Oklahoma City was when I traveled up on a whim to audition for Martha Stewart Apprentice. Martha's spin off from Donald Trumps Apprentice series. Yes, there is a story there!
I was going to be in Dallas and made arrangements with Tate to travel to Mustang, OK to visit, have a tour and meet everyone and anyone who would take the time to talk to me. Excited. I was excited!
My best friend, my GPS, took me straight to the front door and the sign. 'Welcome Author-Annmarie McArthur' They spelled my name right! They put out a sign! Just for ME! I know they have a million authors and I am sure they have many that visit all the time. But frankly, I don't care. They put out a sign, just for me with my name on it and they spelled it right!
I didn't start out Annmarie. I'll tell you now that I started out Ann Marie. There are a zillion Ann's in the world and my parents always called me Ann-Marie. While you meet many Ann's in a lifetime, you sure don't meet many if any, Ann-Maries. Because I am totally a one of a kind and I get that I am a one of a kind and got it a long time ago that I am a one of a kind, many, many years ago, I went to court and became Annmarie! One of the best decisions I ever made. I love my name!
I digress. My visit to Tate was very interesting. I was managed. Managed like I am not used to being managed. Tate managed me. They told me what I needed to be told. Introduced me to the people that I needed to meet. Showed me what I needed to see. Glently walked me along when I was staying too long in one spot and talking too much. They MANAGED me and I loved every moment. Everyone there was young. Organized. Focused. Obviously talented. Wow! I am now part of their family!
Before I knew it I was walked out the door and to my car; With a Tate mug and a Tate pen. I loved Tate and I am going to love Tate and I am going to work with Tate. I understand that a book like mine is a first for them. They haven't taken on a project geared towards empowering small business owners before! I am the first. One of a kind!
My next communication from them will be my production schedule. I can't wait to hear! They got my name right and they put it on the sign. I have no doubt that they will do everything else right also. We are going to help alot of people manage themselves to success!
Off to Oklahoma I go. I used to live in Tulsa and I loved it there. It was a very happy time in my life and I clearly remember the stunning seasons. I used to travel from Tulsa to Oklahoma City to do some freelance work way back when and loved it. You will love this: The last time I was in Oklahoma City was when I traveled up on a whim to audition for Martha Stewart Apprentice. Martha's spin off from Donald Trumps Apprentice series. Yes, there is a story there!
I was going to be in Dallas and made arrangements with Tate to travel to Mustang, OK to visit, have a tour and meet everyone and anyone who would take the time to talk to me. Excited. I was excited!
My best friend, my GPS, took me straight to the front door and the sign. 'Welcome Author-Annmarie McArthur' They spelled my name right! They put out a sign! Just for ME! I know they have a million authors and I am sure they have many that visit all the time. But frankly, I don't care. They put out a sign, just for me with my name on it and they spelled it right!
I didn't start out Annmarie. I'll tell you now that I started out Ann Marie. There are a zillion Ann's in the world and my parents always called me Ann-Marie. While you meet many Ann's in a lifetime, you sure don't meet many if any, Ann-Maries. Because I am totally a one of a kind and I get that I am a one of a kind and got it a long time ago that I am a one of a kind, many, many years ago, I went to court and became Annmarie! One of the best decisions I ever made. I love my name!
I digress. My visit to Tate was very interesting. I was managed. Managed like I am not used to being managed. Tate managed me. They told me what I needed to be told. Introduced me to the people that I needed to meet. Showed me what I needed to see. Glently walked me along when I was staying too long in one spot and talking too much. They MANAGED me and I loved every moment. Everyone there was young. Organized. Focused. Obviously talented. Wow! I am now part of their family!
Before I knew it I was walked out the door and to my car; With a Tate mug and a Tate pen. I loved Tate and I am going to love Tate and I am going to work with Tate. I understand that a book like mine is a first for them. They haven't taken on a project geared towards empowering small business owners before! I am the first. One of a kind!
My next communication from them will be my production schedule. I can't wait to hear! They got my name right and they put it on the sign. I have no doubt that they will do everything else right also. We are going to help alot of people manage themselves to success!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
I Am Not Rachel Ray
Now I totally understand when artists and actors talk about being an overnight success, after being in their line of work for a life time already! I know that very few of you really know that I have been working on a book, actually two books, for a very long time. Now that my book is going to be published, everyone is assuming that it is a cook book. It's not! Consequently, I am starting this blog to talk about the book and to share my publishing experience.
For many, many years I have wanted to write a cookbook. Primarily because while I was in business, everyone wanted me to write a cook book. They wanted the Fudge Brownie recipe and the Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada recipe and the Amazing Chocolate Chunk Cake with the Fudgy Chocolate Frosting recipe. Turns out though, that the universe had no intention of me ever producing a cook book. Besides, there are plenty of cook book authors out there. We don't need another one and especially not one from me!
When I went through the crash of my business in 2004 the world was very bleak. As you know, I gutted it up and resurrected my business and ultimately sold it. During this time, I learned an amazing amount from the mistakes I made. I learned enough lessons that I ultimately developed a 'process' by which to manage my business to success. Not only that, my process and the way I managed myself and the way I ran my business enabled me to start and run another highly successful business. I turned this process into an 8 week 'course' with my goal being to realize my passion of nurturing and empowering other people with knowledge.
Everyone has a passion and most small business owners start their companies because they are passionate about producing a certain product-tangible or non-tangible. Unfortunately, allot of small business owners spend allot of time producing their product and not a lot of time managing the business side of their business. They don't really know how to manage their time, what their filing system should look like and what kind of business relationships they really need to have to support their business. I developed a way to show small business owners everywhere what they need to do, why and how they need to do it so that they may also enjoy success!
When I sold my first company I was still playing with the idea of writing a cook book. I tried my hardest to convert recipes from massive amounts into smaller in home amounts. I tried to measure and document portions and ideas. Then I started writing stories to attach to the individual recipes. As you can imagine, after being in the catering world for almost 20 years, there were plenty of stories. Not only stories about the business, but great stories from the roller-coaster that was my single Mom life.
Then, during a frustrating time cooking, the light bulb went off. I was not meant to write the cook book! The way I was going to feed my passion to empower people, was to attach my stories to my 8 weeks course! Consequently, we now have Recipes From A Life: Crisis Prevention for YOUR Small Business!, the working title.
A few years later the book is complete. Publishing a book is not an easy task as you can imagine. I was persistent with my dream though and made the decision to visualize a finished product. Little purple notes have littered my house for years. All just saying: The Book! I entertained the idea of self-publishing only to find that all self published books really do look the same and there is no marketing or PR support. When you self publish you have minimal choices. Cover A or B. Format A, B or C. Layout design A, B, C or D. That's it. I just knew that my book just could not look like any other book!
As you can imagine, I spent a ridiculous amount of time on the Internet exploring the publishing world. In February of this year, I happened on a publishing company just outside of Oklahoma City called Tate Publishing. They are one of the largest in the country and the only large publisher that commits to reading and/or reviewing unsolicited manuscripts. On a whim and a prayer, I sent Tate my manuscript the first week in March. They commit to following up with all authors with in 6-9 weeks.
I tried to forget about Tate and my book sitting in their care. That line of thought worked for about 4 weeks. Last year Tate only accepted 2.8% of the manuscripts subbmitted to them. I knew that if there was hope for them to accept me, that I needed to put the word out to the Universe. So I did. In my prayers and in my mind and most importantly, in my heart. I put it out there that I have the ability to ensure success for small business owners EVERYWHERE!
On a Tuesday morning early in the middle of week 8, I opened my email inbox to a message from Tate asking me to respond with answers to a few simple questions including the kicker: Why did I think my book could be successful and what would I do to support it's success. I responded immediately with as much energy as I could and attached my author bio and headshot.
I was out of town that day and the next. I returned home that Thursday night late, exhausted and hungry to be welcomed to my dark little apartment by a FedEx envelope. As you know now, the letter read: Welcome to the Tate Publishing Family!
No, to the cook book! Yes, to ensuring success for small business owners everywhere!
Thank you for reading. Next post, my visit to Mustang, Oklahoma!
For many, many years I have wanted to write a cookbook. Primarily because while I was in business, everyone wanted me to write a cook book. They wanted the Fudge Brownie recipe and the Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada recipe and the Amazing Chocolate Chunk Cake with the Fudgy Chocolate Frosting recipe. Turns out though, that the universe had no intention of me ever producing a cook book. Besides, there are plenty of cook book authors out there. We don't need another one and especially not one from me!
When I went through the crash of my business in 2004 the world was very bleak. As you know, I gutted it up and resurrected my business and ultimately sold it. During this time, I learned an amazing amount from the mistakes I made. I learned enough lessons that I ultimately developed a 'process' by which to manage my business to success. Not only that, my process and the way I managed myself and the way I ran my business enabled me to start and run another highly successful business. I turned this process into an 8 week 'course' with my goal being to realize my passion of nurturing and empowering other people with knowledge.
Everyone has a passion and most small business owners start their companies because they are passionate about producing a certain product-tangible or non-tangible. Unfortunately, allot of small business owners spend allot of time producing their product and not a lot of time managing the business side of their business. They don't really know how to manage their time, what their filing system should look like and what kind of business relationships they really need to have to support their business. I developed a way to show small business owners everywhere what they need to do, why and how they need to do it so that they may also enjoy success!
When I sold my first company I was still playing with the idea of writing a cook book. I tried my hardest to convert recipes from massive amounts into smaller in home amounts. I tried to measure and document portions and ideas. Then I started writing stories to attach to the individual recipes. As you can imagine, after being in the catering world for almost 20 years, there were plenty of stories. Not only stories about the business, but great stories from the roller-coaster that was my single Mom life.
Then, during a frustrating time cooking, the light bulb went off. I was not meant to write the cook book! The way I was going to feed my passion to empower people, was to attach my stories to my 8 weeks course! Consequently, we now have Recipes From A Life: Crisis Prevention for YOUR Small Business!, the working title.
A few years later the book is complete. Publishing a book is not an easy task as you can imagine. I was persistent with my dream though and made the decision to visualize a finished product. Little purple notes have littered my house for years. All just saying: The Book! I entertained the idea of self-publishing only to find that all self published books really do look the same and there is no marketing or PR support. When you self publish you have minimal choices. Cover A or B. Format A, B or C. Layout design A, B, C or D. That's it. I just knew that my book just could not look like any other book!
As you can imagine, I spent a ridiculous amount of time on the Internet exploring the publishing world. In February of this year, I happened on a publishing company just outside of Oklahoma City called Tate Publishing. They are one of the largest in the country and the only large publisher that commits to reading and/or reviewing unsolicited manuscripts. On a whim and a prayer, I sent Tate my manuscript the first week in March. They commit to following up with all authors with in 6-9 weeks.
I tried to forget about Tate and my book sitting in their care. That line of thought worked for about 4 weeks. Last year Tate only accepted 2.8% of the manuscripts subbmitted to them. I knew that if there was hope for them to accept me, that I needed to put the word out to the Universe. So I did. In my prayers and in my mind and most importantly, in my heart. I put it out there that I have the ability to ensure success for small business owners EVERYWHERE!
On a Tuesday morning early in the middle of week 8, I opened my email inbox to a message from Tate asking me to respond with answers to a few simple questions including the kicker: Why did I think my book could be successful and what would I do to support it's success. I responded immediately with as much energy as I could and attached my author bio and headshot.
I was out of town that day and the next. I returned home that Thursday night late, exhausted and hungry to be welcomed to my dark little apartment by a FedEx envelope. As you know now, the letter read: Welcome to the Tate Publishing Family!
No, to the cook book! Yes, to ensuring success for small business owners everywhere!
Thank you for reading. Next post, my visit to Mustang, Oklahoma!
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