I'm very excited to host one of my favorite people on the Veranda. Amy Atwell is an inspirationa and a wonderful writing friend. I hope you'll all enjoy her takeover of the Veranda as she shares vital information about her new website AUTHOR E.M.S. I'm putting her up front and center and hope you have a great time learning how to get your hands on all the resources you need to build your career.
Hi Amy--have fun on the Veranda!
 |
| Author and Entrepreneur Amy Atwell |
Hi Everyone,
First off, a huge thank you to Christine for inviting me back to the veranda. I love the view here—especially in spring!
Making a Difference
Not to sound like a public service announcement, but I’ve found myself thinking a lot about why I choose to do certain things. What inspires me, compels me, drives me to complete a task. Some people work well with a threat of punishment hanging over them like a dark specter. Others need the promise of a reward. Whatever it is, I believe each of us has something that triggers our mindset. Slapdash won’t do—now we hunker down and get ‘er done right.
I sum up my mindset trigger as making a difference. When I look at a situation—the circumstances, the personalities, my own previous experiences—I try to identify whether I can make a difference. Can I improve the situation or will I just be spinning my wheels in the mud until I’m exhausted?
When I started writing with an eye toward publication, I did so because I knew what a difference reading fiction has made for me. Reading sparked my imagination, provided me solace from loss and grief, encouraged me to dream beyond my humdrum suburban life. I wanted to pay those experiences forward to others. Not that I get oodles of fan letters, but when a reader writes to tell me why she loved my book, it really touches my heart.
About a year ago, I identified what I saw as a need shared by nearly all authors: a constantly updated clearinghouse or library of information to help writers with the business of being a published author.
Imagine, a one-stop resource with overviews about setting up author profiles on Amazon and Facebook, introductions to the major distributors for self-published books, lessons in how to set up a website or blog, links to timely industry information and much more.
I couldn’t let go of the idea or, rather, maybe the idea wouldn’t let go of me. And then I realized that if I put some time and effort into it, I could create such a website and make a difference for a lot of other writers.
It’s been a year in the making, a work-in-progress I doubt I’ll ever complete. But Author EMS is up and running toward its three goals:
· Save authors’ time
· Reduce authors’ stress
· Improve authors’ focus
Maybe it’s all a pipe-dream, but in the end, I’m building the kind of resource I wish had been available to me when I sold my first book. This mirrors my philosophy that I write the kind of books that I want to read.
I hope you’ll swing by and check it out. There are lots of public pages plus a blog. If you want a bit more access to “the library,” you can register as a guest for free to explore more pages. Paid members gain access to the full (and constantly growing) library and our Database of Online Reviewers, a searchable database of over 500 book reviewers.
Can you think of anything that would make a difference to your writing productivity? What’s on your wishlist that would improve your writing situation?
Amy Atwell worked in professional theater for 15 years before turning from the stage to the page to write fiction. She now gives her imagination free rein in both contemporary and historical stories that combine adventure and romance. When not writing, Amy runs the WritingGIAM online community for goal-oriented writers and has recently launched the Author E.M.S. online resource library. An Ohio native, Amy has lived all across the country and now resides on a barrier island in Florida with her husband and two Russian Blues. Visit her online at www.amyatwell.com, Magical Musings, Facebook, Twitter and/or GoodReads.
