Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 93 of the podcast and it's November 30, 2022 as we record this. Main Topic: Failing (in order to Succeed)  PATREON:  No new patrons this week,    A big squeezy hug and Thank you to our existing patrons for believing in us and in the podcast.  This podcast is sponsored by our patrons at Patreon.com/valerieihsan. For as low as a $1/mo, you can get a shout out on the podcast and we can make announcements for you on the podcast. At other tiers, the benefits increase--free books, accountability Zoom calls, scene analysis, mastermind calls, and even free Writer Craft retreat tickets. Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.  Comments: RE:Ep92: Mary says, Very nice episode. I'm excited for both of you and your upcoming projects. Valerie, I think the picture on your Author's Website is fantastic! I definitely think that picture of you would entice people to pick up the book. Erick, I have your first book. I like the cover and I look forward to reading it.   Announcements: Tickets for the Writer Craft Writing Retreat and Workshop are live. Priced at $900, but patron price is $825. Monthly payments are an option. Send me a message Valerie@valerieihsan.com for a unique PayPal link, or go to the shopping page on my website to purchase at full price.  Writer Craft Writing Retreat is scheduled for next August 24-27, 2023. Tickets include all lodging and gourmet meals, plus instruction and coaching and retreat time on the river, in Marcola, OR. Go to valerieihsan.com/retreat for more information. Update:  Got caught up in subtitle fonts for the cover. Been emailing back and forth with designer. I'm overthinking it. But 99% done and ready to approve the ebook cover. I've forecasted my remaining publishing tasks and am on target for a January release. I'm starting to think about pricing and keywords. Yesterday I did a final proofread on the manuscript and finalized the formatting in Vellum. AND, I'll send out the last of my postcards today. (Had to get postcard stamps.)   Just finished:  Meredith, Alone by Claire Alexander and The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin   I'M READING: Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life by Beth Kempton,  A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny Up Next:  Erick's Reading:  All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Murder Bot series) Artificial Condition (Book 2) Deserter by Junji Ito (graphic novel) Show Notes:  Believe in my head, not in my heart. So still struggle. Failure is necessary to your success. But is it really? Do I have to? Maybe I won't. Just try hard and stay focused. Except, then, perfectionism gets in the way of starting. "Learning in Public" is what I try to do. To normalize failure.    Play in the sandbox. "Perfect is the enemy of done." "Better is the enemy of good." Community building is necessary. I wish I would have started failing earlier. Next Episode:  How to Decide on Your Next Project Resources:  Raven Publicity (publicity for authors) The Shades of Orange (Rachel, Book Blogger on YouTube) for book recommendations SF/Fantasy/Horror Contact Erick for business-starting advice. Contact Valerie for book coaching for help writing your book. Other Resources: Thomas Umstattd Jr, at Novel Marketing Podcast. Ep255: How to Create an Email Onboarding Drip Campaign Erick's Linktree link: https://linktr.ee/erickmertzauthor Russell P. Nohelty and Monica Leonelle's book, Get Your Book Selling on Kickstarter.   The Author Life Community Passion Planner: https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx (affiliate link) Discount Code: VALERIEO866 ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)   Find Us:   Valerie’s Services: https://valerieihsan.com Valerie’s Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com Valerie’s Facebook Page and Instagram account   Erick’s Services: https://erickmertzwriting.com Erick’s free book on Ghostwriting: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cexki4kp5n Erick’s Author Site: