I just finished reading an issue of The Hot Sheet, founded by writing and publishing industry guru Jane Friedman. I’m no dummy, and I like to keep up with at least some of the advances in my profession. The Hot Sheet is the most energetic, thorough, and comprehensive of any publication in the business, and I highly recommend it.

The most recent issue covered Substack, Discord, BookTok, and Bookshop. Have you heard of them? Maybe not. I have heard of all four, but can only talk about, and talk lightly, two of them. Jane does a wonderful job of explaining them in layman’s terms as well as giving her personal opinion on how useful these tools can be in your efforts to be a published author.

She also covered the blurring of some genre lines, like urban fantasy romance, and how that sells. How to sell to US Book Buyers of Color, and an intriguing new publishing business model called Zibby Books. And for those of you interested in textbooks, there’s a big dust-up between Pearson and Chegg.

Okay. At this point, you’re either excited about these new opportunities, all this new news . . . or you are feeling overwhelmed. Or maybe you feel like I often do, that you cannot keep up with change. Especially those of a technological nature. But you do not have to. That’s why you subscribe to someone like Jane.

But I get it. I see these innovations and wonder if I’m going to be left behind. Am I writing right? Am I selling right? Am I appearing on the right social media or making the right moves to be seen and heard?

Listen . . . you have one life. You have one flash in the pan of life. You decide how you want to use it. No, you do not have to know everything. Frankly, the smartest people often specialize, having no clue what a zillion other people in a zillion other interests are doing.

Write because you want to. Write what you want because that makes you whole.

Publish because you want to. Publish how you want to best fit into your lifestyle.

Promote because you want to. How you promote can not only make sales, but also has to make you comfortable and satisfied at the end of the day.

You don’t have to be rich. You don’t have to be NY Times Bestselling. You have to decide the path of writing that makes you whole . . . and happy. Let people like Jane bring you the details. You, my friend, pick and choose what you want to learn and throw the rest away.

Enjoy your day without the frustration of thinking you are being left behind. You aren’t behind anything or anyone without choosing to be.

(NOTE: I know Jane Friedman, and she is indeed brilliant. If you do wish to consider her paid newsletter, please go here to learn more. Paid subscription. ~Hope )