Years ago, I heard a professional speaker tell about a dream she had: She had always wanted to go to Australia. She mentioned the dream in one of her speaking engagements and a couple approached her afterwards.
We’re from Australia. You can go stay in our home, free, for three months while we are traveling.
Immediately the speaker backpedaled. She had thoughts like, “I can’t do that. I can’t afford to miss work. My career would dry up. People would forget about me.”
But it was too great an opportunity to pass up. She flew to Australia, enjoyed herself tremendously, and when she returned her business boomed.
Why?
Everyone wanted to know what her trip had been like. Even better, she came back refreshed and motivated to pour herself into her business.
All authors should take time off from marketing their books. Here’s why:
Sometimes Less Is More – Some of my favorite bloggers are those I rarely hear from. I don’t get tired of their voices because I don’t hear them every day. All of a sudden I’ll see a link to one of their blogs and I’ll think, “Oh, there you are. I’ve missed you.” Once in a while I get sick of my own selfcare mantra and I’m sure others do as well.
We Need New perspectives And Experiences – The brain loves novelty. It lights up at new experiences. That’s why you can visit an ordinary town and everything about it is fun and interesting. As I write this I’m finishing up a long week of clients, social media, and wedding details (my daughter gets married in September). I’m taking next week off to go to Breckenridge with my husband who has a work conference, and after that I’m flying to Nashville for a relaxing weekend with other creative people. Yes, I’ll miss time with clients, and yes, there is a financial cost, but I know the benefit will be greater.
Even God Took Time Off – Author Wayne Muller says, “In the book of Exodus we read, ‘In six days God made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day God rested, and was refreshed.’ Here, the word ‘refreshed,’ vaiynafesh, literally means, and God exhaled. The creation of the world was like the life-quickening inhale; the Sabbath is the exhale…without the Sabbath exhale, the life-giving inhale is impossible.” Inhale plus exhale equals life. If God needed refreshment, don’t you think we do, too?
When was the last time you blocked off your calendar for pure enjoyment and no book marketing?
WordServe Water Cooler 
I live in Australia, Ms. Lucille =). Nice post, by the way! 🙂 I am still an aspiring, unpublished writer, but there are those occasions when a sabbatical rest is a great blessing and boost to the tasks God has given us!
Joy, thank you for writing to us from down under. Grace and blessings on your writing.
This is very encouraging for me, Lucille, in the thick of book promotion. I’ll be sure to take your advice because I, and I’m sure the people I heckle about my book, need it ;).
Gillian, it’s a fine line isn’t it. Knowing when to tell people about our books and knowing when to hush. Thanks for your comment. Have a great day.
Thank you Lucille. I needed this. God bless.
Thanks!
So good, Lucille!! We are indeed so afraid of being forgotten, of losing our edge, of falling silent and irrelevant, but we NEED the exhale. Thank you for that truth, and finding it’s true root in our Creator!
LOL – ‘even God took time off’ Love it.
It’s refreshing that we can give ourselves permission to take time off from book marketing. And we shouldn’t feel guilty if we also want to take a short vacation from writing. I gain new perspective when I step back and relax for a while.