Is Failure Sometimes an Option?
About a year ago, I embarked on a venture that was really out of the box for me. After years of trying to get a publisher interested in my literary efforts I decided to self-publish. The deciding factor that stimulated this decision was the publisher I found on Facebook. Mindstir Media advertised that if you had a children’s book without illustration, they would illustrate it for you. I was hooked.
The creation of my dream, a legacy for my grandchildren is called Rag Doll Tales, and I have had good success getting it into the hands of the public. I have been privileged to present my book at schools, churches, two book signings and a daycare center. Each place Rag Doll Tales has been well received, and I have been elated. My first absolute failure came one Sunday July 14th.
I looked forward for about two months to the Baltimore Urban Book Festival. Originally when I saw the advertisement, I think it was the Baltimore Urban Children’s Book Festival. Sometime in the two months the name was changed. Neither the less, I looked forward to the event. I sent in give-a-ways for the goodie bags that were to be presented at the festival. I sent in an interview about myself, and a synopsis of my book. I publicized the event on my Facebook page, and my Rag Doll Tales Facebook page. My business had grown to include not only a book, but also a doll from the book. The dolls had been a huge hit at other presentations. So I prepared 15 new dolls for the Baltimore event. I even recruited my girlfriend to help make them so they would be ready on time. My hubby and daughter volunteered to come with my and we would make this a family affair.
The day of the festival, we set up the table, it looked wonderful. My pens, business cards, dolls and books found just the right spot to show off their best potential. At 12:PM the festival opened and people started to trickle in. Between 1:PM and 4:PM, the largest groups of people came. Many stopped by my table, many read my poster, took a pen, spoke about the merits of my book and its idea, and promised to contact me at a future day. Alas, that was it: My first failure.
So, where do I go from here? For the first time in about a year I have no events to look forward to. Do I pack it up? At this moment I don’t know. I guess this story will be continued.
scribe312 
Posted a response on Facebook. Good Luck!!
CB
Its all in how you frame it. Go back to the designing table. And craft a new strategy. When interest in your work increases…you won’t even view this as a failure.
Don’t speak of failure, Yvonne! Your words have tremendous power. The words you speak can set the course for your victory or set the course for defeat. You decide by what you say. When you determine to have an attitude of faith and expectancy and declare God’s Word, you will be strengthened and empowered by His Spirit. But at the same time, if you go around talking about failure as an option or talking about defeat, it depletes your faith and sets your focus in the wrong direction.
Don’t limit what God can do in your life by focusing on what you see in the natural realm. You serve a supernatural God, and just because you don’t see a way doesn’t mean that God doesn’t have a way. God can bring one opportunity across your path that will thrust you to a whole new level. Trust that He is working behind the scenes. Your destiny is not determined by the Baltimore Urban Book Festival. Your destiny is determined by Almighty God!
God gave you the gift of writing, and He will also give you the plans for it. You don’t have to figure it out, just stay close to the giver. God’s dream for your life is so much bigger than your own. He is going to take you places that you never thought possible. He is going to open up doors that you never have imagined. He’s going to bring talent out of you that you didn’t even know you had. This is the time to get excited about your future, not ponder about whether failure is an option or not! It’s time to get your hopes up, and get ready for the next exciting part of your journey as an author. Use this lull in your activities to continually give praise and thanks to God for all that He has done, and seek His direction for the bold and exciting new plan that He has instore for your success. It doesn’t end here, Yvonne! This is only the beginning! Keep dreaming!
Hi Yvonne, I was so touched by your story and wanted to say, “He who has begun a good work in you, He shall perform it”…… I know this one “stub of your toe” cannot deter you or your efforts, and you know that too. This is just a niche and another chance to reload and try again. Your time will come and every disappointment is for a reason. Don’t give up! I would love to see some of your work at some point. Do you have a website? Let me know. Remember, you still haven’t seen God’s best, not yet. Your greatest victory is just ahead of you, so push on!.
Blessings!…………Lorraine.
Dear Lorraine, thank you for your words of encouragement. They lifted my spirits today. I do have a website. It is: scribe312.wix.com/rag-doll-tales. I am hanging in there, but I just don’t want to be foolish and beat a dead horse. 🙂 You have been my own personal blessing today, thank you so much.
Blessing sent your way.
Yvonne