When I lived in Key West, I loved watching hermit crabs on the beach…they were so cute, dragging their outgrown shells around for awhile before the empty husks dropped off. Going from writer to author has made me lose my old protective shell, too. I used to be a person alone in her room, writing whatever she wanted, or what she thought an editor, or readers, might want to read.
Then my book came out and I became an author. It was an uneasy fit at first, but I’m getting used to it. I remember at my first DWW meeting, people were giving me their cards. Someone asked “Do you have a card?” I didn’t. Writers don’t need cards. But authors who give public talks and personal workshops do.
So, last week, I had business cards made up. I had to decide what to put on the card. My phone number in black and white was the hardest thing. I have a phone phobia that goes way back. But if I’m going to be an author (translation: if I’m going to sell those books in my closet) I have to be open to communication from the public. And not just through email. So. The phone number went on the card.
The next hardest thing I had to do was list what I do. I settled on “Author. Speaker. Writing Coach. Workshop Leader.” That’s when it really sunk in that I had moved from my safe little shell of writer to the much more public author. And speaker, well, that one really shook me when I saw it in print. Who, me? The last two were easy, since I’ve been doing both for years.
I decided to feature my book cover on the front of the card. The info is simple and nicely spaced on the back. It looks good. Professional. A tiny thing, really, but it feels exhilaratingly huge. Like I’m heading into the ocean and the sun is hot and the breeze is blowing and the sand under my feet is soft. That’s how I know this new direction is right. By the way it makes me feel.
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