Help someone you don't know just because you believe in them

by A.M. Khalifa, thriller writer, Google+

Browsing the Twittersphere, I recently stumbled upon a young London-based singer-songwriter who had posted on YouTube some of her original songs and a few ingenious mash-ups of cover songs. She’s only twenty-one but has an amazing voice and presence. The sort of talent that screams “I’m the next big thing.”

Instinctively, I tweeted her and said something along the lines of, “Are you just doing your thing, or are you looking for a record deal?” She responded with humility saying she’s in her last year of college but was actively looking for contacts in the industry. Without thinking twice, I proceeded to connect her to a friend of mine who works as a senior talent manager at a Los Angeles-based entertainment company founded by Jay-Z and connected to Sony Music and Universal Music Group.

As it happened, my friend was in London the same time I wrote to him, so they met in person and so far things are looking extremely promising for her. Her life may change dramatically as a result of this serendipitous chain of events. All I asked of her is to pay it forward one day. And of course to send me front row seats to the Grammys when she’s accepting her award at some point in the not too distant future.

Why am I telling you this?

As a new writer, my focus is often to foster relationships that may somewhat benefit my writing career. There is nothing wrong with that mindset, but if that’s all I am doing it could ultimately harden my heart and turn me into a calculative self-serving machine. All the advice on the business side of indie publishing seems to say the same thing: To invest my time and energy in the activities and relationships that will pay off. There is an 80/20 rule out there that I’m still trying to get my head around. Even when I seemingly reach out to do selfless acts like promoting fellow writers I admire and respect, it’s often with the implicit expectation they will do the same for me. Again, it’s fair and symbiotic, but it can’t be the only outlook.

Sometimes it’s soul-quenching to support someone simply because I believe in them. To undertake a totally selfless act based on the desire to help a talented, hard-working person who deserves it. And to put my money where my mouth is when it comes to my commitment to support and enhance the arts. In this case, rather than lament the sorry state of music produced today, I wanted to actively play a role in helping someone with raw talent to get a fighting chance to prove it to the world.

Mind you, I am not confusing this with karma, because even that is not entirely altruistic. There is nothing wrong with helping someone expecting the universe to look out for me one day, but it doesn't taste quite as gratifying as helping someone simply because I believe in them.

I am still relatively obscure as a writer as I am only just getting started in this gig. But so far, I've been fortunate to have mostly come across people who sought to help me because they believed in me. Even within the realm of strictly professional relationships where money is exchanged for services, most of the people I have hired have ended up becoming solid friends and genuine supporters who look after my best interest because they think I merit it.

I therefore feel it’s incumbent upon me to repay this kindness with people who equally deserve it, in whatever line of work they may be.

Fellow writers, were you the recipients of selfless kindness along your career from someone who believed in your work, and how has that affected your life? Readers, do you actively promote your favorite writers because of your belief in their work, over and above buying and reading their books?

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A.M. Khalifa's debut novel, Terminal Rage, was recently described by Publishers Weekly as "dizzying, intricate, and entertaining." 

The ebook version of Terminal Rage is now on sale for $2.99 on Amazon.

Author's Bill of Rights

By Andrew E. Kaufman

How Much Time Should I Give Other Authors?

It’s a question I often ask. The truth is, I’d help everyone if I could, because I know how overwhelming being (or becoming) an author can be. I also know how frustrating it is to feel excited about my work, and then struggle to get others to feel the same enthusiasm. By nature, I like to give just as much as receive and find equal joy in both. Besides, I truly love meeting other writers. We are a community, and I enjoy being a part of it.

But with that comes another set of issues: part of it is time; the other is that these days, it feels like there are almost as many people writing books as reading them. 

And it seems the busier I get with my career, the less time I have, with even less of it to enjoy activities in my personal life. Since I signed with a publisher, I’m no longer my own boss. Now there are deadlines set by others that I’m obligated to meet. There are conference calls with my editor, with promotions people, and with my agent. My time doesn’t seem to belong to me as much as it once did.

Despite this, I still want to offer other authors help when they ask for it. I’ve just learned to recognize my limitations. Since my writing and my readers have to come first, I can’t provide everyone with everything they need. I can only do my best, but I have to accept that my best will not always be what I’d like.

So in setting these priorities, I’ve made some decisions, devising a Personal Author’s Bill of Rights. Here’s what I’ve come up with:

Amendment 1: Reading Requests/Endorsements/Beta Reads

I have the right to refuse reading or endorsing another author's book when asked.

This was the toughest one for me. I feel bad saying no. It’s not that I don’t want to read another author’s book—it’s that next to writing a novel, reading one is a huge time investment. I usually read at bedtime, but sometimes that only lasts a few minutes before I pass out.

I will occasionally break this rule if I know an author well enough (and their work), and even then, it depends on whether my schedule will permit. But I’ve run into trouble there as well. I’ve made promises, only to find I’m not able to follow through when my workload becomes too overwhelming. So, as much as I hate to say no to a friend (and suffer the ill effects of that decision) I’ve decided it’s far worse to say yes, and then not be able to deliver. The guilt is colossal.

Amendment 2: Offering Advice.

I will always answer emails from authors who ask for advice and try my best to do so in a timely manner.

With limits, that is. If I feel I can answer a question, I will—unfortunately, how much information I’m able to provide depends on the question, and anything requiring an in-depth outline or pages of explanation simply isn’t manageable. But I do try to do my best and be as helpful as possible, and I also apologize when I can’t.  I don’t always have to give advice, but I do feel an obligation to be kind to everyone.

Amendment 3: Promoting Other Authors’ Books on Social Media and Beyond.

I will gladly promote other authors’ books that:

1) I know and trust deliver quality content

2) I know (period).

But even with that, I’ve started to feel I need to clearly state when I haven't read a book I’m promoting, because it feels unfair to readers otherwise. Then the question arises: how do I enthusiastically recommend a book I’ve never read? Haven’t figured that one out yet.

Amendment 4: Appearing as a Guest on Blogs/ Doing Interviews

 I will always make time to be a guest on blogs (time permitting) and will gladly do interviews.

This applies to all of them, no matter how big or small, because I’m honored to be asked, and because they’re doing me a favor by showing interest (Not the other way around).

Amendment 5: Appearing at Writers' Gatherings

I will always say yes (Time and geography permitting) in order to encourage other authors.

 

See above—same reason, and because when I first started out, I never had the benefit of getting advice from experienced authors, and I know what a big difference it would have made if I did. Besides, as I've mentioned, I love meeting other writers, and I benefit from that just as much as they might.

Have I left anything out? And what about you? Both writers and readers: how do you manage time constraints when the requirements of everyday life seem to get in the way?