Good morning, everyone!

Pardon any typos, I have a lap full of cat ath the moment. LOL Never mind, he decided to move. LOL.

When I was younger, I was a huge fan of carousels. Okay, I’m still a fan. But not as much as I was then. I truly appreciate the artistry and work that goes into the older ones. The hand carved and painted animals, the music, the movement of the ride.

There was one in Spokane, WA. I believe it’s still there. This was a truly special one that was a real treat to ride. Not simply because it was originally from the glory days of the carousel and beautifully restored/maintained, but it had a feature I’d only seen there. As the riders went around, if you were lucky enough to get an outside horse, you tried to grab a ring from an arm. Then, you’d toss it towards the opening of some sort. I want to say it was a clown’s face, but I could be mistaken.

If you got it into the target, you won a free ride. If you were really lucky, you got a brass ring and not an iron one. Again, it allowed the rider for a free ride once turned in.

In writing, when you get that contract, you’re one of the lucky few who get to ride the outer line of horses. The ones who can grab for that brass ring. If you get that brass ring, or toss one into the clown’s mouth, you’re now one of the few who can make a living off of your writing.

But, in order to do that, you have to promote. You have to market. You have to be willing to put yourself out there.

You have to take the shot.

It’s not enough to simply put your book under contract or up for sale. You can’t sit back and wait for the world to discover your talent. You have to promote. You need to take chances on contests, promotional companies, giveaways, etc. No one is going to know you’re an author unless you tell them. Unless you’re willing to move past the idea that your book/publisher will do the work. You have to decide if you want to sit back and be passive, or if you’re willing to grab for the brass ring. Make the shot at the clown’s face.

Otherwise, your ride’s going to end. And you may not get an outside seat the next time around.

BB