RobArt Penguin

Daily writing prompt

What skills or lessons have you learned recently?

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Even in retirement, I’m still learning and growing. I hope it keeps me young. Because I published two books this year, I’m learning the benefit of developing a thick skin. Although I am not getting negative feedback or criticism, I am challenged by the difficulty of getting noticed and not letting it bothering me. When I published I didn’t think about the next step. The company that put my books together said they released them everywhere. But the problem is, accessibility isn’t visibility. Sure, if I type the title of one of my books in a search page, there will be listings even at some “Timbuktu” libraries, but someone doing a general search, like for Science Fiction, will probably not see me. So, I’m going have to do promotion to get noticed. There is no easy path. I was probably naive about this part of publishing. It’s nothing to take personally. Millions of titles are release every year. The landscape is flooded. Only a few stand out. This is where a thick skin helps. The difficulty of getting noticed is not a problem with my work. It’s a tough market. I will work at it, but I won’t sweat it. This process has helped me grow, develop a thicker skin. I did an art show last weekend and presented my books. I had good results, so I will keep plugging away.