The Success Indicator

 

I was on Facebook the other day and came across this great photo that Lauren Wave's special events posted.

 

This was sort of a wake up call. I'm not saying that my first year as an Indie wasn't pretty successful, but looking at this was sort of a wake up call as to what I really need to stop doing and can prove for an even more successful 2013.

 

Secretly hope others fail- Yes, I know, bad Magan. But don't you hate it when someone screws you over and you just think "Man I hope you fall off a bridge." If you've never felt something like that, you are a much better person than I. In this new year I vow to stop thinking like that, even secretly. What does it do for me to think that about others? Am I any better than that person that screwed me over?

 

Have a sense of entitlement- This is horrible and I've done it. I felt that since I put the work into indie publishing that I deserved as much success as everyone else. No. I don't. If your first book doesn't sell, you aren't entitled to have great sales, you have to work for it. Instead of complaining on facebook that I should have great sales, I need to go out there and earn those sales, keep writing, and keep putting out an awesome product.

 

Horde information and data- I've gotten better about this, especially since joining groups like The Indelibles. I used to not share information because I always thought "I can't share my secrets, I need the success!" That's not true. I do believe in some aspects that self-publishing is more of an individual thing than a team sport, but without others sharing their information, I would still be sitting with a bunch of unfinished manuscripts on my computer, so I have to pay it forward.

 

There are way too many others that I can relate to on the "unsuccessful" side and now I feel like a huge Dbag, but you know what? Success doesn't always happen overnight and for 2013 I vow to change all my bad habits, stop holding grudges, and move forward. And with a little help from my friends, I know that I'll get to relating more to the "successful" side.

 

Do you find yourself relating to the unsuccessful side? What are you doing to change that?