One of my clients is about to launch a new book project. She was concerned about the value of the project

I am writing this book because I love to express myself through writing, and I believe I have something that will interest, inform, inspire and/or entertain others.

I want to publish this book because it is the only way possible to expose it to the public at large. The number of books I sell or the number of readers who like my book are of little interest to me. I have no illusions of becoming a celebrity author or bestselling writer. Nevertheless, this doesn’t stop me from doing everything possible my publisher to cultivate a readership by promoting this book myself and engaging others to help me.

From a business perspective, this book is a personal investment in me. I am not writing and publishing it in order to make millions or possibly even make back my initial costs. The book has material value as an asset because, in this instance, it records an important segment of life for posterity. It is a unique record not only because it is written from my perspective, but also because this segment of life has never been recorded before. The published book joins the backlist of works that archive the history of man and woman during the 20th and early part of the 21st century.

 

The book has value as a personal asset because it represents the work of my hands and heart and is an expression of who I am. It augments my identity as a human being and a woman who has lived a long and productive life.

 

Will this book sell?

 

Through a new marketing and promotion program that my publisher is currently building, I will have many opportunities to be interviewed, do book signings and make presentations about my book. It will be up to me to become engaged in this promotion process so I can build my own readership.   

“The book will sell” if I devote time and energy to helping my publisher promote it.

It is important to keep I mind that academicians do not ask if their book will sell. They write their books because they are making a contribution to the library or recorded history of our civilization.   

 

So... ARE you too full of yourself?  Hmmm. One evening several years ago (when I was young and innocent), I was having dinner with a group of fellow poets after attending a reading by a guest poet who had just published a new collection. I did not particularly care for this poet’s work; it seemed to lack depth or substance. The poet seemed too “full of himself” and unconcerned about whether or not anyone understood his work.

The waiter poured the wine and served our salads. We launched into a discussion about the function of poetry... ah, yes! I leaned forward. 

One of the guests asked the poet whether his readership or audience was important to him. Without a moment’s hesitation he responded vehemently, “No! Of course not!”

He then proceeded to support his belief that one should write poetry only for oneself.  “It is totally irrelevant and unimportant if anyone understands my work,” he proclaimed in a stentorian voice that could be heard throughout the restaurant.

During a brief pause, as he stopped to sip some wine, I poked my hand in the air to attract the great man’s attention and innocently asked, “But don’t you somehow feel that poetry should communicate?”

The scene that ensued was memorable. Apparently I'd hit a raw nerve.

Slamming his wine glass on the table, the poet shouted, “NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!!”

Angrily he waved his hands in the air, tipping over his wine goblet and water glass. In the midst of chaos and hasty cleanup, the poet continued his lecture, his voice rising to a hysterical pitch that caused all heads to turn in the direction of our table. Red- faced, gesticulating wildly, he informed me that surely anyone who ever wrote poetry to communicate was an idiot.

Okay, so I'm an idiot, I thought. And maybe that's why I couldn't find any depth of substance to this man's poetry. 

It is now at many years later. I’m not sure what happened to this poet; in fact, I never heard about him again after that evening. Maybe I deliberately adjusted my frequencies and tuned him out, or maybe he adjusted his, and stopped writing.

I'm still wondering about him, and about me. 

By tapping into the heart and soul of who we are, we access the deepest part of ourselves. Here’s where the fire burns--and that's what I call "being full of myself."

If, on the other hand, I want to see how esoteric, crazy or outrageous I can be--how many poetry nuts can I attract?--I'm much too full of myself to be able to communicate with anyone else.

Rainer Maria Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet" is my poetry bible.