“Shame Less” Plug
I’ve been writing for over a decade, and fabricating stories and characters for even longer. I love the art of storytelling. It’s a wonder it took me this long to get serious about publishing my stories. However, it took a challenge from a friend in November 2018 to take those first steps. “Finish a full novel manuscript before the end of 2019, with the goal of getting published.” I decided not to write him off and took on his challenge.
With the writing part down, I had to get to the business side of things. Sure, I prioritize sharing my stories over profit, but an author needs to eat every once in a while. Needless to say, I was intimidated by the scope of it all. Traditional versus self-publishing, copyright, marketing platforms, and a plethora of other things leapt at me, one after another. Even now, with my first book just hours away from releasing, I’m still reeling from it.
The biggest hurdle I had to overcome was the idea of self-promoting. Sharing a funny story about myself to a group of friends or acquaintances? Easy. Advertising my “good points” or pitching a story to strangers, seen and unseen? TERRIFYING. I don’t like talking about myself that way. And yes, I do see the irony here. I’m self-promoting the fact that I am terrible at self-promoting. The idea that I would have to talk about myself, and do it more often than I preferred, left me unsteady.
In June of 2020, during the Covid-19 Shelter in Place, I was listening to a video series by Michael Todd called Relationship Goals. Lots of great stuff in there about handling singleness and every aspect of relationships. If you haven’t watched the YouTube recordings or read his book by the same name, I highly recommend them to you. Check them out.
Anyway, Michael Todd got to a point where he brought up Jesus announcing the two greatest laws: “Love the Lord your God will all your heart, soul, and mind,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Zeroing in on the second one, he pointed out that before you can love someone else, you had to meet a prerequisite: loving yourself. Not in a prideful “me first” sort of way, but the “caring for and appreciating yourself” way.
Then, like the classic bolt of lightning, a thought struck me. “Do I have trouble promoting myself because I don’t actually love myself?” It was a shocking revelation. I knew my strengths and played to them often, but I didn’t have the confidence to share them. If I wanted to succeed, I needed to get out my head and put myself out there. I needed to accept all of me and be willing to talk about all of me.
In that case, who am I? I’m an enthusiastic educator, an experienced filmmaker, and a soon-to-be-published author. I’m an avid gamer, a reader of manga, a serial punner, and a Christian who works in multiple entertainment fields. I’m quiet and reserved when I meet someone new, but once we find a common topic, there will be few chances to shut me up. I can be stubborn about random things, but gracious about most others (so much so that other people get mad for me when things come up).
Self-promoting is an intimidating venture. It leaves you vulnerable, exposed to judgments and criticisms. However, it’s important to love yourself, to have confidence in who you are and what you do. No matter what people say or whatever comes your way, your self-assurance will help you stand your ground, and those worries and criticisms will roll off like raindrops against a mountain.
So, hi. I’m Timothy Marasigan. I’m an aspiring author and lover of story. I’ve written a book, and I’d love for you to give it a read.