Those are words I try to live by, though some days are bigger challenges than others.  There is no end to the list of obstacles writers in America face today.  From the glutted market to the dumbed-down populace to the overpowering sway of the corporate media behemoths, being a fiction writer, especially an independent, often feels akin to the fate of Sisyphus.  I will keep rolling my boulder, however, because that’s what I was put here to do.  Whether I can ever get it over the hump or am condemned to watch it roll back to the bottom every evening, I will keep pushing.

Unlike Sisyphus, I can learn and adapt my tactics.  This year, for example, I intend to broaden my reach in European markets.  If American audiences are too enthralled with dinosaur porn to read good fiction, maybe I can find a foothold there.  I intend to look into other markets, as well, like Australia, but Europe will be first because I already have a slight presence there.  One way or the other, I will expand my readership this year.

I read a good article the other day about how people should focus more on their processes than on their goals.  I’ve always applied this concept to writing, and I’m going to attempt to apply it to promotion as well.  I’m going to examine and improve upon the ways in which I promote my works and aim for increasing the effectiveness of my efforts, instead of just setting a goal and focusing on that.  The article also talked about focusing on small, incremental changes to processes instead of large, sweeping overhauls, so I’m going to look closely at what I do and how I do it and then attempt to improve upon what I’m already doing.  In that way, I will get this stone over the mountain and treat these obstacles as opportunities.