If Your Gut Says Customers Won’t Like It

A writer asked on social media
if it would annoy readers
if she did something.

She asked that question
because she KNEW
it would annoy readers.

She hoped enough
of her rabidly devoted fans
would say it was okay
to justify her choice.

I piped up
and said it would annoy me.
A bunch of those fans
jumped on my response
and said they would support
ANYTHING the writer, my buddy,
did.

And then there was
no more dissent.

Publicly.

Privately, I suspect
many readers had
the same reaction I did.
They didn’t like the idea.

If your gut says
customers won’t like it
AND you have a solid idea
of what your customers like,
you are likely right.

Test it privately
with customers
anyway, of course.
Sometimes, rarely but sometimes,
our gut feelings are off.

But usually,
if we know our customers well,
they’re not off.

Figure out another way
to accomplish
what you aim to do.

Prepare Work For Business Partners Now

The holidays are fast approaching.

But…but…
it is only September,
you say.

Work backward.

I want to release
a Romance Novel
(product)
in February,
as an example.

I need to load it
to booksellers
a month before that.
That takes me
to January.

My editor usually requires
a month to edit a story
(with 3 rounds of edits).
That takes me
to December.

But editors like
to take holidays also.

I can’t expect
independent contractors
or business partners
to work over holidays
like I often do.

Edits will likely take
an extra month.
That takes me to November.

I require around 2 months
to write a story.
I’m at September.

I have to start
writing the story
(preparing work)
for my editor
(for my business partner)
now.

And you likely
need to prepare work
for your business partners/contractors
now also.