Will You Have the Courage to Take the Extra Step?

Will You Have the Courage to take the Extra Step?

Let’s imagine together for a few minutes. You’ve released your creation into the world. You’ve poured your heart and soul into this creation. And for a while, because it’s new and maybe a little different from what’s out there, it’s doing well. This could last a few days, weeks, months, or even years. But at some point, the sales and downloads and views trickle off to nothing. No matter how hard you try, you can’t get it to move anymore. Will you have the courage to take the extra step?

We all reach a place in our careers when all efforts have failed. Things go well for a while, but then there comes a time that momentum stops. No matter how hard you try, no matter how much you do those things you’ve always done, nothing works. I’ve been there. I understand your frustration, anger, and despair. I’m going to share with you one of the things that I’ve learned in the last few years that has helped me to get over this hump.

For a few years, my marketing tactics were working very well. I was posting to Facebook and Twitter. E-books were moving. I was having Facebook events, doing takeovers religiously, and gaining new followers and readers. Almost overnight, everything changed. The algorithms changed and my posts weren’t being seen. Sales completely dried up. No amount of trying made anything change. No amount of posting, sharing, taking over other pages was working anymore.

Fast forward a few years. TikTok is on the scene and authors are taking off. They’re making a killing. They’re getting book deals just because they have massive followings. The authors who are willing to show their faces on Instagram, do the stupid dances, and follow the trends are the ones who are making it big time.

Authors who aren’t willing to make videos and do stupid things on the internet for perpetuity aren’t doing so well. So, I decided to bite. I got on TikTok, and I started making my little videos, trying to keep up with the trends and do the things that I thought would promote my books. And it worked. I gained followers faster than I ever have on any other platform before. That’s where I learned this little nugget.

There is a limit to what some people are willing to do to achieve their goals. Those who are willing to go the extra mile and step out of their comfort zones to try something new are the ones who get the pay off. They’re the ones who reach the heights we’ve been striving for. There are limits that we should never cross, and then there are limits that limit us.

I know some of you are thinking “we aren’t in competition with each other. We should be helping each other succeed.” You’re right. This isn’t about competition. It’s about standing out in the crowd. This is why TikTok took off for authors.

You’re going to have to find the courage to step out of your comfort zone and do things that others aren’t willing to do if you want to succeed.

You have a book, a product, or a service and it’s not doing well, right? I get that. I have a whole backlist of books that haven’t moved in years and it’s frustrating. You’re probably here because you’re looking for advice to get started, well, I’ve got advice for you.

Do what others won’t.

I know. You’re looking for actionable advice, and I will give you that actionable advice, but this is where you start. You must set your precedent first. Are you going to do what it takes, spend the money necessary, give up the things that you enjoy temporarily, step out of your comfort zone, and do things that might be a little uncomfortable to get where you want to be?

Small, Uncomfortable Changes

I first stumbled across this idea a few years ago. There was only so far that some people are willing to go. If you’re easy to copy and emulate, then it’s time to grow. No matter what industry you’re in, there will always be someone who is unwilling to do the work for themselves. So, start by making changes, small but uncomfortable.

Some are only willing to go so far to get that sale, whether they allow fear to hold them back or whatever the reason. But if you want to be the one on top, if you want to take your sales to another level, you must be willing to step out of your comfort zone, get a little uncomfortable, and grow.

What does this look like?

For me, I started using a bullet journal. I stopped spending so much time decorating and doing things that didn’t matter and started using it to actually track what needed to be done. I spent less money on stickers and accessories and spent more time on honing it into a planner that worked for and with me. Eventually, I was more efficient and I decided to apply this method to my book sales.

I also started using TikTok (which I haven’t used in a while for reasons), but TikTok boosted my visibility and sales quite well for a while. I even spent a little money on some lighting in hopes that it would make my video quality better. I’ve also started running ads to some of my books to get more visibility.

For you, this may look as simple as posting more often to your socials or as big as going to events and conventions to meet readers and get physical book sales. You know what needs to be done. Don’t let fear keep you from reaching the heights that you’ve always dreamed of. Be willing to get uncomfortable and step out of your comfort zone. Take baby steps, but make sure that you’re growing with each step that you take.

Will you have the courage to take the extra step? What is one move that you could make today that will set you up for growth tomorrow? It can be as simple as setting a timer to make sure you get your work done, or as easy as getting a better planner, or maybe as big as setting aside money each month to start running ads. Leave a comment and let us know what move you’re going to make today.