Are you at the point of needing a bio to introduce yourself? I remember way back in 2005, (boy, is that dating myself) attending a class run by Steven Manchester, another Associate Member of Authors Without Borders (awb6.com). He’s an author of so many Best Sellers today. I met Steve when he ran a workshop titled “How to Get Published. He has been a mentor of mine ever since.
I laughed knowing I hadn’t had my first book out yet, or even finished, and he wanted the writers to fill in a bio of ourselves. Lets see, I had my name, address, telephone number, and the title of my book.
Now, it’s 2018, and I have published three memoirs, a Narrative Non-Fiction, three handbooks, teach three different workshops, and in the middle of writing my first women’s fictional becoming a trilogy. I became a speaker on substance abuse after losing my husband and daughter to this horrible, worldwide disease.
I developed fear, panic, broke out with a sweat, weak knees, pounding heart, and clammy hands and forehead talking in front of an audience (even with 2 people..maybe one). Today, I talk at halfway homes, rehab, court-ordered programs, inmates in jails, to families, and to the public. Oh yes, I still get this symptoms mentioned above, but I push myself through the tension.
I’m a director, producer and co-host to the NBTV-95 cable TV show out of New Bedford, Massachusetts with three other authors. I interview others on our show and get interviewed myself on other networks.
I write frequently for The Cape Cod Today blog or articles for newspapers. In fact, for five years!
I became a promoter with all these locations from hearing the difference between a poor author to a rich one. The poor ones enjoy just selling books at festivals or bookstores. A Rich Author wants to do more to get noticed. These are the thing I have accomplished for the past 13 years.
You’d think I’d be real famous by now, including being rich, especially, having the topic of losing my husband and daughter from alcohol and drug abuse. It’s a subject matter that effects so many of us day in and day out.
It goes to show how hard promoting is when I can honestly say, “A handful of people in the area know me.” I’m not famous or had the chance or opportunity to reach someone to help me get ahead. I’m comfortable within my skin to stay the way I am hoping to reach an alcoholic or drug user and save them.
I’m at the point of getting up there after years of pushing ahead, still young at heart, and try not to think about the work being hard. Age shouldn’t be the factor. We need the drive. Somedays, I wake up with so much energy and hope to get myself on the internet to reach all I can with my topic.
If it’s meant to be, I’ll get noticed. If not, I’ll continue on writing and enjoying the time being retired. We all need something to keep busy and feel like we are giving to someone else, instead of looking for something in return.
Disappointment will come in-between or something will bring you hope beyond anything that doors are opening. Example: Weeks ago, I had a producer from the CBS This Morning TV show from New York call me, stating that my letter, out of 700 from around the world, stood out to her. Wow! This HAS to be my break. She wanted my pictures, bio, and other information.
Patience is a good virtue. Patience!! I’m trying. It’s the wondering; am I going to get called, did she forget about me, did she lose interest, what is going on, if anything? I have author’s friends who have received emails or phone calls that their books will be made into a movie. Talk about frosting on the cake, to only hear that there was not enough money, or no one was interested in the book. Disappointments. Yes, what could hurt more?
Filling in a bio with what you have accomplished takes years. How fast depends on you. There are some authors happy to write, have the book on Amazon, and others who want it all. But, we have to go for it. Fame and getting known will not happen on its own…not that it hasn’t.
So, keep your writing going and just enjoy it.
Alberta Sequeira
Website:<a href="http://www.albertasequeira.wordpress.com"
Email:alberta.sequeira@gmail.com
Purchase Books at http://www.amazon.com/author/albertasequeira
