Pressing on To Meet our Goals

by Ruth Bonetti

Procrastination – let me count some ways:

Day Job (as in, don’t give up...) 

I’m grateful that teaching music has allowed ongoing income, where others have gnawed fingernails in an uncertain 2020. Ouch, the challenge to conquer technology platforms and teach online. I progressed from “Moi? Tech and I are incompatible!” to “OK, work is bread and butter.” Each day/week/month/term I grew confidence, skills, tricks. Brain exhausted. But jubilant that I could communicate in another way.

 

Online, I was welcomed into homes, met dogs, cats, goats, fish–and parents. Some thrived with parents at their elbows, reinforcing. One girl logged in from her vista on a Noosa beach. 

(Memo: time for down-time!)

A lad appeared with a box on his head. Students emailed photos of playing Last Post in driveways.

Dear readers, I survived the year. Now it's time for writing. Flick switch in head. Clunk.

Self-doubt

Are my ideas useful, words worth reading? WORSE. Meet its ugly sister:

 

Self-sabotage

It’s so hard to get a book published, to find an agent. OK, self-publish.

I’m a shy introvert, I hate marketing! People must think I’m always pushing my barrow, blowing my trumpet in their face.

It’s HARD to tempt people to buy a book. Let alone write a review. 

My last book burned me out. I’m a resting author.

 

                        Without Vision the people perish.
                        Without Vision the writers languish. 
 

Set Sensible Goals

Mid-year (and what a year it was!) I announced I would publish Book 3 of my Midnight Sun to Southern Cross saga in October. Que? Crazy. 

Plus, a children’s musical story is underway. (Um, I’m a musician but a less confident composer).

Committing to another book, St Lucia and the Art Deco Mansion: What drove the man who built it?  cranked me from stationary lethargy into first gear. My revised goal is early 2021. February? 

Because music teaching dries up in December-January (as do incomes) I have time – and NO excuses – to hone, polish, finesse.

 

Set do-able goals

Last week a reputable publisher offered an online pitch for children’s book submissions. After wasting time in a new-genre funk, the deadline approached and whoosh! Write, rewrite, cull, revise, rewrite, edit, run past supportive writing buddies (thanks, Jeanette O’Hagan and Debbie Terranova!), rethink, rewrite, prune to word count, edit, proof. Press SUBMIT! 

Eyes blurred, dry yet watery, muscles creak, RSI wrist. 

I met the goal!

One-Step-at-a-Time Goals

A picture book will grow into a musical story. I’m heartened to see a need for social-distanced, small-ensemble performances, as in There’s a Sea in My Bedroom. A when-the-time-is-right-later goal. 

 
Way-Out-of-Comfort-Zone Goals/ What’s-to-Lose Goals

A mentor taught me a lesson that illumines my teaching and life. I dedicated Sounds and Souls: How music teachers change lives to conductor John Curro. In it (and again in Midnight Sun, so life-changing was this experience) I tell the story:
 
While at university, John Curro, conductor of Queensland Youth Orchestra, sees that I need a challenge. The Copland concerto is virtuosic but also allows me to express the instrument’s singing tone and lyricism. There are altissimo register and jazzy syncopated rhythms to conquer. And John knows that I will enjoy exploiting its introvert and extrovert qualities.
‘Why not?’
‘Because the next round performance is two weeks away and I have not learned, let alone played, the Copland.’
‘There’s nothing to lose. You can fall back on Weber. Just do it.’
How I practise. Never have I worked so. I climb a technical Mount Everest; slay dragons of my weaknesses; my rhythmic vagaries are drilled into precision, altissimo register runs conquered. Day and night for a month I live, work, sleep and finally surmount the Copland Concerto. My performance with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra is already a triumph; there is no apprehension about winning—I did so already. This is my moment, charged with electricity. I shine, ecstatic. 

 

Last year, the day of my students’ concert, “Big JC” was elevated to conduct celestial orchestras. I dedicated to him their performance of a seat-of-pants Boogie. Did they nail all the notes in the right places? No. Was it a riveting performance? Did they learn improv? Do they now welcome challenges? 

 

                                                    It’s time to stretch my writing muscle. 

                                What goals haunt the too-hard section of your mind and heart?

 “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 NRSV) 

                St Paul didn’t always know where he was heading, but trusted God’s driving directions. 

 

Ruth Bonetti feels she's written all she can say (famous last words?) about her fields of music, performance and pedagogy. She's nearly done with award-winning historical biography/memoir. Her grandchildren inspire new horizons of children's picture books. 

Memo to self: a blog is ages overdue. 

Facebook pages (See also Music, Presentation) get more airplay. As sometimes does the magical realism channelling of a long dead great-uncle. 

Birthing a Book – by Ruth Bonetti

Two weeks ago I became a doting grandmother to little Archie.
Two months ago I birthed a book after a decade's gestation. I muse...

AGONY AND ECSTASY

The arduous process, false contractions, anxieties and hard labour culminates into sheer delight to hold a baby for the first time. Nature sends a wash of amnesia over the pain so mothers front up for more.

REALITY CHECK

Now the real work begins.
Birth sets parents on a lifelong path to nurture, care and guide.

So we authors must lead our new book into the wide world.

OVERNIGHT SENSATION (Losing weight so fast!)

Identity issues accompany streamlined figures. Last month’s groomed capable superwoman fades into a hausfrau who craves sleep and a minute’s bathroom privacy. As the florist bouquets wilt, some mothers befriend cabbage leaves. They become camels, humping prams and nappy bags.

Authors invest in larger handbags to carry a few books in the hope of tempting impulse buys. They feel pressure to be seen with a successful image in the crowded market place. They must morph into media tarts, push themselves all over social media, hoping hungry overkill doesn’t repel.

THE LAUNCH PAD

Like a baby’s christening, a launch introduces your book to the world–and can attract publicity. Frock up for photographs to splash around social media.

Preparing a launch is a huge job, so delegate to your loyal team. Trying to be MC, stage manager, tech crew, speaker and star at an event causes headless chook furrowed brow. Email a clear, detailed run-sheet well before the event.

Be available to greet and chat. Breathe. Smile. Be grateful to those who bought books, supported–and for left-over gourmet food that saves cooking next day.

BLOWING OUR OWN TRUMPET

Many authors are shy introvert types, reluctant to push themselves or their barrow of books. They might prefer to change a dirty nappy rather than front a panel discussion, book reading or talk at a writers’ festival. And yet they crave attention to market their baby, so they must surmount insecurity and ‘pick me!’ pitch to program conveners, hoping to break that glass ceiling for an invitation.

OR SILENCE?

A baby draws instant attention–away from the mother. Books compete with trillions of competitors and are easily overlooked. We’ve lived with our story all through its gestation and now long to hear validation. Please, NOW! And then…Silence.
But most people haven’t had time to read or digest it yet. Few realise that a sentence of feedback on Amazon or Goodreads would make that author’s month.

ANTICLIMAX

Midwives know the four-day blues. For authors, it may be four-week blues. We poured every ounce into perfecting our words, characters and structure. We edited and proofed, polished.
Print is final; we can’t fix that pesky typo on page one that even an objective proof reader missed.

At such times it’s easy to fall prey to doubt and self-sabotage. Maybe it’s not worth pitching to that festival, they won’t take indie publications.

Even luminaries like Kate Grenville admit rejections and frustrations. She avoids downers by simmering several projects at a time. Submit one, turn to another.

But you’re SO exhausted? It's no surprise.
Rest. Be still. Enjoy the fulfilment of your goal and hard – er, labour.

Read other authors–for enjoyment. Don’t let vulnerability bury your gift in the ground, but do trust the seasons; allow some time to lie fallow. Come spring, your new seedlings may sprout. Believe in your gifting and honour it. When the time is right, the green blade of your creative sap will rise again.

Midnight Sun to Southern Cross is Ruth Bonetti’s second book in her historical biography/memoir saga of local stories. In the tradition of great family migration stories, it continues the saga of the Back brothers’ flight from Russian-occupied Finland to Australia as the nineteenth century turned into the twentieth. Available: Amazon and her webstore at www.ruthbonetti.com Follow Ruth’s blog:


Earlier books are in her primary field of performance–of words and music–and education. Ruth founded Omega Writers in 1991 when her youngest son was a toddler.

Thumbs Up from Reluctant Convert to Crowd Funding–by Ruth Bonetti

After a year of the submit–reject–tweak–resubmit wash cycle I felt wrung out. 

Main house publishers have the distribution channels sorted. I’m an indie publisher of six titles. But it's a stretch to fund and distribute two more books.

Son Paul crowdfunded his second album, with excellent success.

“Too hard!” I whimpered. “Lots of work...OK, I’ll do it.”

Already I had relevant YouTube videos. Paul scripted suggestions for voice over snippets that I recorded on Sound Studio. He edited it down to 2 minutes plus for upload. 

We brainstormed the “rewards” offered in return for support; books of course, and launch invitations, but also eye-catching gingerbread and heritage wreaths.

How long should the campaign last? 40 days, suggested a friend. Done.

Ready for lift off. Press “Launch.”

Paul tipped me off to have some people primed ready to pledge at the outset. This signals “Success! Back her.” I felt driven because with crowd funding there’s no income if one falls short of the target. 

Whirlwind pace. Presto.

Put out the word, staccato. Personalised is best.

• Emails: write a basic spiel, cut and paste with various slants. Click resend, change address. To simplify the process, I went through the baby names book, starting with “Dear Anne”. That meant just a change of email address. Next to Annette, then Angela and on through my data base. Until I ran out of time.
• Facebook: posts to existing groups; explore and join target groups.
• Direct messenger. Again, cut and paste.
• Twitter: “My next follower will take me to the 1000 and receives a free book.” Liberal use of any hashtags that might cast a wider net.
• Blogs.
• Email campaigns, targeted to my various groups. One to music educators brought pledges from unlikely directions like China. Though my next books are different genres of historical biography, people said they’d been helped by my earlier ones and wanted to support my initiative. 

Social media drove such a campaign. It attracted people around the world,  like Finland and Sweden, that I could not have reached through my existing networks. 

The 40 days were a blur. Apologies to those who received multiple invitations. Forgive me, I knew not what I’d done. 

Gnawed fingernails. Then pledges came in. At times the pace stalled, as I’d been warned. But, with wonderful help from friends and writing colleagues we reached the target at half time. Now what? Anti-climax?

Pozible, who hosted my campaign, offered 15-minute phone advice. My contact person suggested a “stretch-goal”. If people supported further, I could value add. As a musician, live music features at all my book launches. I posted that any further funds would go to pay the band Greshka the professional rates they warrant. As St Paul wrote, a worker is worthy of his hire.

From the other side of the room at Omega Writers retreat in Toowoomba, Jeanette O’Hagan pledged to tip me to the $4000 exact–a thousand above my target. She typified the ethos of OWI, that writers support each other. Thanks, Jenny.

Crowdfunding stretched me way out of my comfort zone, but this is the first time I have pre-publication orders pre-paid. My Book Whispers pre-press account can be settled at the time, not in instalments. I can afford the printing. (For even POD needs outlay.) Thanks to all who supported. If some were wary of online platforms or preferred the usual book buying means, fine. But the crowdfunding process blew PR trumpets.

For those prepared to work hard, crowdfunding is a viable path. 

Thumbs up. Like.

Burn My Letters will launch on 13 August in Brisbane and at Byron Bay Writers’ Festival the weekend before.

RUTH BONETTI is author of a dozen publications. Her coming releases are Burn My Letters in July and Midnight Sun to Southern Cross in October. More info at her website and crowdfunding campaign.

Facebook: Ruth Bonetti
Burn My Letters: Karl Johan Back