When I tell people
I write romance,
the first comment I usually get is
“Oh, like Fifty Shades Of Grey.”
No, not at all
like Fifty Shades Of Grey
but that doesn’t matter.
That one book is now representing
the entire genre,
a genre consisting of millions
of other books.
If I want to be perceived in a different light,
I have to work twice as hard
to change that perception.
And because Fifty Shades of Grey
is representing
the entire genre,
thousands of new writers
think THAT is the benchmark
for romance.
THAT is what they aspire to write.
Like it or not,
Donald Trump is right now
representing business folks.
Whenever he attacks a grieving mom,
mocks a disabled reporter
or
kicks a baby out of a rally,
these actions are added
to the average person’s perception
of businessmen.
If we don’t want that
to be how others perceive us,
we have to work
to offset that perception.
We have to be
MORE supportive
than the average person
of the disabled,
grieving moms,
babies.
There will also be an influx
of new businessmen or women
who think acting like Donald Trump
is acceptable.
We should keep that in mind
when we interact
with these new business people.
The perception of business people
has changed.
We should incorporate that
into our plans.