I Am A Serious Writer! No, Really I Am. Sometimes.

For this month of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, more of my insecure ramblings.

I've been told by those in the know that I need to start taking my writing career more seriously if I want others to take me seriously. Well I know that.

But, what if I take myself seriously and they laugh at me?
What if I take myself seriously and do the things that have been suggested  and it ends up all being for nothing away?
What if I take myself seriously, do the things that are suggested, but then have to pull back because of another family or financial crisis?
What if...

You get the insecure picture right?

The suggestions I've received have included:

• Get a real professional head shot and for the love of God please stop using that selfie you took in your car!
• Send out at least three pitches weekly
• Create a new website with a dedicated URL (this is the one causing me the most angst)
• Develop my purpose, mission and vision
• Write out my ultimate wish list
• Get to work on my second book

So, after doing my usual 'do nothing out of fear' for a few weeks thing, I finally completed step one - a real professional head shot.

I contacted my new friend and famed Memphis photographer Marci Lambert and told her what I needed. Outwardly she was excited for me, but I'm sure she groaned a bit inside. She was the photographer for my first photo shoot commissioned by a local magazine. I didn't exactly give her a hard time, but I didn't make it super easy on her either with my whining about how I don't like my picture taken and I don't like any picture ever taken of me.

But, Marci is amazing and she managed to put me at ease and she even convinced me to smile!

So step one - complete!

Step two - three pitches weekly? Three? I get it, I get it. The more you write, the more you submit, the more you publish. OK, I'll work on that.

Step three - a new website with dedicated URL. But that means leaving Blogger! Of everything on the suggestion list this one is my biggest hang up. I can't even handle the thought of losing everything I've done here these past five years. Literally, it makes me anxious and tense just thinking about it.

But I understand the need. No one is going to Google Diapers, Detentions & Downdogs. They are going to Google my name.

I simply can't pay anyone to create the switch for me, there's just no budget for it. Which means figuring it out on my own.

Anyone have any advice on switching from Blogger to a new URL? What about all you Word Press people?

Any and all advice or assistance would be very very appreciated for creating a dedicated URL!

Four - my purpose, mission and vision. Ummmmm. Well I always say I want to help women find their voice. I suppose I could jazz that up.

Five - my ultimate wish list. I've told everyone this - I want to get my book on the Ellen Show! Why Ellen? Because she loves yoga and she loves her mom. It's just a bonus that my kids will think I am the coolest mom ever if they see me on Ellen!

Six - start writing book two. Actually, and this will be the first time I'm publicly admitting this, I think book two is beginning to rattle around in my brain. But I'll save that for next months Insecure Writer's Support Group post.

This is the picture from my first professional photo shoot. Marci may have got me to smile, but I still think I look scared half to death in this one. Hopefully I look much more relaxed - and more serious about myself and my work - in the second one posted above.