
Everything has an acronym nowadays and I decided I wanted to add one…#HAO is one that not many people know. Unless it has another meaning but it simply means, Helping Authors Out.
You see when I first became published in 2008, I reached out to NY Times Bestselling authors and not many responded but the few that did respond; I cherished their wisdom, their insight and their willingness to share. One actually mentored me for more than a year, calling me every Sunday to ask about my progress on marketing, writing and just seeing how I was handling being an author.
The piece of advice she gave me before she ‘turned me loose in the world’ was to help another author, just as she had helped me. Great…not a problem, but then I found that in a world of authors trying to sell books, they were as cut throat as a lot of corporations top CEO’s. I didn’t like what I saw so whenever a new author approached me, I gave my advice willingly and without holding anything back.
After all, someone had given it to me. I have gone so far as to seek out authors, when I see them making mistakes in their marketing efforts. What’s the worst that could happen? They tell me they don’t want my help? Ok, if that ever happened, I would just move along to someone who wanted my help, but that hasn’t happened yet.
For all of the authors out there, mainstream or just getting started; give your wisdom to someone else. In the world of books, you will never be the only person writing a particular book and I firmly believe that if you keep your hands closed, you will never receive what you could have.
So, for all authors that have been successful in selling their books, offer someone one tip that can help them be as successful as you are. #HAO and if you don’t know any helpful tips, feel free to email me and I will share mine.
You can find me on Twitter @bswanginwebster and on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AuthorB.SwanginWebster and you can join my blog for more helpful tips; http://booksshoeswriting.blogspot.com
Bio
Sandra Bswangin Webster resides in Maryland where she works full-time for Intrigue Publishing and the local school system. She is also a full-time author. She has been writing for most of her life for relaxation and is known for her shoes. You will never find her without at least 5 inches of shoe on her feet and you will see her with her seven grandchildren. She believes that every woman has the potential to be a ‘Diva” and she is in the process of writing her first mystery, #TheStilettoStalker