Red Room Where the Writers Are

I see myself as a very realistic person, but a realism that has a sprinkle of optimism and hope that is a permanent feature after realising years ago that laying the firm foundations of success has a lot to do with good planning, energy, determination, hard work and belief. And perhaps, a bit of luck.

I am not blind to the issues we face. We, as a country, as an economy, have problems.

Unfortunately, the brand of realism that I hear and see everyday seems more like sensationalism and mass hysteria than the bare truth. Statistics, gossip and 'sage' words from self-proclaimed experts of the industry that say that armageddon has arrived and, basically, this is the end of business civilization as we know it.

The other day, I heard a news person claiming, with a voice filled with mock, dramatic concern (whilst obviously very pleased that they had a leading story to report), that 1-in-6 people in the UK are now unemployed, followed by reams of other statistics that were reeled off with the joy of someone reading out lottery numbers while they had the winning ticket. Blimey, even my heart sunk as I thought for a split second that I had no chance at this rate. And then I was angry. Angry at myself for letting myself buy into the 'realism' that the media have been swimming around in, the poisonous fear that has poisoned almost everyone I meet.

Yes, things are bad, especially when viewed en-masse. But each person can make a difference, imho. Buck the trend, I say. Stand up and be counted. DO something about it!

There are hundreds of thousands (at least!) of vacancies available in the UK. Not all business sectors are failing, and, as a matter of fact, the largest private sector employer in the UK has been making several tens of millions of pounds clear profit consistently throughout this recession. Whilst many business are struggling and even failing, other businesses are growing and being profitable. There is a balance, albeit tipped towards the negative, but it is certainly not the end of the world.

I want one job. One. Not hundreds of thousands, LOL! I am doing everything I can to set myself apart. It's working. I will get the one job that I want.

Doesn't a lot of this also have parallel's with selling books? The market has changed significantly. Independent bookstores are closing, larger ones are looking for ways to cut costs and compete with on-line discounts. It is a much more cost driven market than before. If you want negative statistics, just search online, it won't take you long to find info that might make you go cold.

On the other hand, working as a team at book signings, Gina and myself have noticed how busy the stores are. How many people walk around with new books, piled high in their arms, as they wander the stores for treasures to take home. Our proactive approach has meant that we are selling full-priced books from a non-celebrity author, while sitting amongst the many signs that show special offers selling best sellers from household names. All but one book signing has been a true success, and even with that one, the bookseller was amazed that we sold what we did as the store was an apparent black hole for all book signings.

If you, dear reader, find that any of this resonates with you, in any way, I hope you won't listen to the en-masse statistics anymore, don't let 'them' get you down. You can make a difference. You'll feel better for it, you'll get yourself noticed, you will learn from it and, hopefully, you will get the results you want from your actions.

Believe in yourself and just get on with it. It works. :)

"A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." Winston Churchill