Overcoming Rejection: What’s Your Merch? by LA Bourgeois
Let’s welcome back LA Bourgeois as she shares with us “Overcoming Rejection: What’s Your Merch?” Enjoy!
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Do you remember the first rock concert you attended?
Filled with excitement and expectation, funneling through the brightly lit and yet somehow still dim hallways of an auditorium to get to your seat.
And there, positioned conveniently next to the entry, sat the merch booth. T-shirts hanging on the black backdrop, CDs on the counter, ballcaps with the band’s logo plastered across the front.
All waiting for you to purchase them from a slightly sketchy dude and fulfill your goal of being just a little bit closer to the rock star hitting the stage that night.
So…what if YOU were the rock star?
As authors, we spend much of our life dealing with Big “R” Rejection.
Even the most famous writers talk about sending out story after book after article after novel.
Stephen King stabbed rejection letters onto a giant nail on his wall. The iconic “Chicken Soup for the Soul” stacked up 134 rejections before becoming the publishing juggernaut it is today. Louisa May Alcott heard “Stick to your teaching” from one unkind editor.
All of this rejection can wear you down. You start to get used to it, to expect it. And that expectation might be the most insidious part of all.
Overcoming Rejection
As we build up our thick skin against rejection, the resulting callus can create a blind spot. We pursue our artistic goals and continue to put our work into the world, but instead of anticipating a “Yes,” we begin to expect the “No.”
That thick skin gets spiky, and we cuddle into it, immersing ourselves in this familiarly uncomfortable space.
The thing is, if we keep snuggling into that place where the “No” is expected, when we get the “Yes,” we don’t know how to handle it.
Could you, perhaps, imagine for just a moment what it would be like to be accepted?
And from there, could you begin to play? Could you pretend to assume your work would be embraced?
Play at being a Rock Star Writer
Let’s do it!
Just for a few moments, assume you are a huge rock star with the whole world clamoring for a souvenir!
What merch would be sold at your booth?
Of course, everyone would want a t-shirt with your name on it and a bibliography of your work on the back. Same with copies of your books, piles of which would be snapped up by the wandering fingers of the crowd.
Turn on your whimsey, amp up your curiosity, and engage your giggle muscle!
Think about your books and the wondrous worlds held within.
Does your main character’s Aunt Doris bake a mean pound cake? Maybe Aunt Doris’ cookbook is on sale.
What about a dollhouse version of the creepy manor where the ghost haunts the windows?
Or a Funko Pop version of your main character in full detective mode?
Does the SWAT team in your action thriller deserve action figures?
Expand your mind. Expand your dreams.
Allow yourself to consider the idea that, even for just a few moments, you could be a rockstar.
With the most fun, best merch any weirdo dude in a sketchy booth ever sold!
***Please note that this piece uses Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching Tools™ as I continue my journey to becoming certified in that style. You can find more information at http://www.kaizenmuse.com.
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ABOUT THE BOOK REVIEWER
LA (as in tra-la-la) Bourgeois supports writers, makers, and other creatives in growing their creative businesses and breaking away from their day jobs.
As a creativity & business coach, she believes that exploring your creativity invites joy into your life, embracing your creativity infuses your life with joy, and manifesting your creativity gives you a joyous purpose. Writing and knitting are her non-negotiable mediums, and she can usually be found with a pen or knitting needles in her hands.
Find her free guide, Tricking Yourself into a Creative Habit online at labourgeois.biz and start writing those words today. She can’t wait to read them!
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OTHER WFZ RESOURCES
https://writersfunzone.com/blog/2016/09/19/invitation-rejection-jami-gray/
https://writersfunzone.com/blog/2019/04/09/where-do-you-get-your-buzz-by-nevada-mcpherson/
