Here is the contradiction of being me, something I must confess honestly:
I have no problem sharing foibles, flaws, and failings here, you see,
But you all I can’t see, thus in that sense, it’s easy,
But where the rubber meets the road, in the getting naked at home,
I’m failing miserably.
Will you pray for my wife and me?
On Tuesday evenings, I sometimes participate in a Twitter chat that goes by the hashtag #writestuff. It is, as you may surmise, about all things writing-related. It is hosted by writer (and writing coach) Andrea Cumbo. If you’re at interested in the process of writing, I recommend you check it out.
I mention the foregoing, because last night, the topic of discussion was publishing. Wouldn’t you know there was something of a divide between the importance of having stellar content, and of being connected, networked.
Like Robert Downey, jr. as Tony Stark in the first Iron Man, I ask: is it too much to ask for both? Why the divide at all? Yes, by all means, do the work, write engaging, awesome, content. But on the other hand, if it’s something you believe in, something you feel called to do, don’t be afraid to promote it. How can you can expect others to believe in something unless they see you believing in it, too?
Because, you see, there’s this almost unspoken belief that “if I write it, people will come.” But the fact is these days, that’s almost never true (yes, there are exceptions to the rule, but we’re not talking about those today). The cold, hard reality is that you can have a great book, a stellar proposal, but if you don’t have a platform, chances are you won’t get representation, find a publisher.
For me, having a platform simply means building relationships with like-minded folks. Like Bryan Allain says, it means having a “Killer Tribe.” If you don’t get anything else from this post today, don’t miss this: if people see you genuinely investing yourself in your platform–whatever that is–they will invest in you. I have experienced this firsthand; it is both humbling, and inspiring.
Yes, swing for the bleachers when you sit down to write, know the rules of grammar, sentence structure, etc. (Know how and when to break them, too). But don’t be afraid to invite people along on your journey, don’t be afraid to support them in theirs, because as magical as writing is, the real magic happens in the hearts and minds of people. If you have a message, you want to get it out there, right? Being connected means removing the barriers to get that message out.
Believe me, people today want to feel connected, want to share their stories, and want to share in yours. Let them see you believe. In your work–and in your platform.
Content is king, but being connected never hurts. If good, clean writing is a beautifully baked wedding cake, prepared by a master baker, then being connected is the frosting, and all of the decorative work on it. While being real, and working hard, make your cake as attractive as possible.
Have you ever been to a wedding? Imagine with me the moment the cake is brought out. It is a monumental moment, one preserved forever in photographs? Now imagine that cake–so skillfully blended, baked, and assembled–coming out completely unadorned. It is entirely devoid of frosting, fondant, frills.
No matter how delicious, would you eat a piece of that cake?
Recently, I’ve been corresponding with a new reader of the blog. If things work out, he has quite a story to share. Chances are, due to the sensitive nature of his tale, it will be an anonymous confession.
That he reached out to me got me thinking: there’s a good chance that there are a great many folks out there carrying burdens they need to lay down.
That being the case, I thought I’d open the floor to you:
If you would like to send in a confession, drop me an email at by clicking here. We can work together to determine if you would like to remain anonymous, or not. In any case, I will keep anything sent to in the strictest confidence.
Because confession is indeed good for the soul, and we are encouraged to confess our faults one to another, my vison is that this would become a regular series.
If anything, let me know what you think in the comments.
Thanks,
Chad
Folks, I’m privileged this year to join an elite group of fellow bloggers on the field of battle. Our fearless leader is Maximus Decimus Meridius, who will have his revenge in this life, or the next.
Wait–that’s not right. Our team captain is Ricky “I have 2 Sheds” Anderson. If you followed the festivities last year, you’ll recall that “Team Ricky” was doing quite well until Jon Acuff got wind of the fact he was on “Team Rob.”
After that, it was pretty much game, set, and match.
But you can change all that. Internet, you have a chance to right a wrong, rectify an injustice, help Maximus be reunited with his wife…
Oops, again that’s not right. My bad.
What I’m asking you–sane, level-headed souls that you are–is to please head over to Rob Shepherd’s blog, and vote Team Ricky. (Click right there where it says “Rob Shepherd’s blog” to be taken to the post and poll).
Vote early, vote often, vote from multiple computers. Clear your browser’s cache, and vote again. Vote from your smartphone, your tablet, or other Internet-connected device. Write your congressman, enlist your family, call a meeting of your HOA–JUST PLEASE GET OUT THE VOTE!
Sure, there’s a pesky presidential election this year, but who cares? This is far more important. Besides, that’s not ’til November–vote now!
Joining me, under the auspices of Captain Ricky, are:
Tor “the Sleep-Deprived” Constantino .
Monica “the Other Captain’s Wife” Shepherd
Kevin “the Isle of Man” Haggerty
Renee A. “I Will School You” Schuls-Jacobson
Joseph “I’ve Never Hunted Spider-Man in My Life” Craven
Paul “not the BBQ sauce guy” Johnson (Bill is the BBQ sauce guy, in case you were wondering).
So that’s the team. Remember to head over to RobShep.com , and vote Team Ricky.
Tell him, I “randomly” sent you.
What are you doing still reading this? GO VOTE!!!!!
Did you vote?
Vote already.
Peace out.
Over twenty-one years ago, my wife and I married. Then, as now, the country was in a recession. But I had a good job working at a bank.
Until, three months after we were married, I didn’t.
This came immediately following a President’s Day weekend trip to visit my dad in California. For three weeks, I looked for work, and found nothing.
But then Chick-fil-A was there for me. The income may not have been at quite the same level as my previous job, but it was income. I of course continued to look for other work while employed there, and eventually added a second job at a portrait studio. Which came about because the manager of the studio had seen me at Chick-fil-A, sampling chicken.
Yes, I was the “chicken hawk,” standing in front of a mall location, enticing passersby with delicious golden fried goodness. It may not have been my dream job, but I embraced it. Having had some training in television commercial acting, I added some theatricality to it, made it a performance. (Which as a shy introvert I had to do–I had to make it a role, rather than see it as me standing out there passing out chicken).
Among the most fun things I declaimed:
“You deserve a break today–so eat at Chick-fil-A!”
My boss of course quickly put the kibosh on that, saying that he’d rather not be sued. 
Among the more interesting things I heard from customers enjoying samples:
“Almost as good as eating p***y.” I wish I was making that up, but it happened. Who says something like that to a complete stranger?
But I digress.
I eventually left portrait photography–where I was decent at taking pictures, but abysmal at selling them–and found another job, while continuing to work for Chick-fil-A in the evenings.
In the fullness of time, I moved on from all things chicken, finally after almost two years of trying, when I landed a full time job with another company. But when things were tight for my wife and I, and because I’d left on good terms, Chick-fil-A took me back.
And you know what? Despite the bifurcated nature of my service, I qualified for their college scholarship!
When they say Chick-fil-A cares, they mean it! They took care of me, and my family, in a time when we really needed it, and will always have a soft spot in my heart because of it.
How about you? Do you eat at Chick-fil-A? How have your experiences been?
PS: With regards to the recent kerfuffle, all I can say is, having worked there, knowing something of the hearts of the people who run the organization, I’m certain there was no malicious intent. Mr. Cathy’s convictions are borne out of a lifelong, deeply held faith. If he disagrees on the definition of marriage, he does so respectfully, with nothing but love for those on the other side of this cultural divide.
My take is this: his views are his own, and he is entitled to them. Just as others are entitled to their’s. My experience while working there was that, while it was a business started and run by Christians, it was nevertheless a business. Although we were indeed closed on Sundays, if we were going to have a staff meeting, it would be on a Sunday. Because that was the only day when all of us were available to meet.
