CL Pauwels at Large

I don’t know whether it makes the world go ’round like Liza tells us in Cabaret, or if it’s funny like ABBA says in Mama Mia (rewatched for the umpteenth time Friday night), but it’s certainly the focus of Western society, like it or not.

Maybe it’s both.

It also was the collision point for my publishing/political parallels this week: I received my first royalty payment for Burned Bridges (yay!) and the first donations to my campaign. Both are never-ending cycles, I’m learning. Every new title requires a new sales push, a new marketing plan, more book signings and promotions and gimmicks.

And did you know elected officials in DC are expected to spend four hours every day on fundraising phone calls after they are in office?! Obscene.

But while “Buy my book!” at least has a tangible exchange of goods for the money request, “Support my campaign” is more tenuous in the benefits category (or at least it should be).

Neither am I comfortable doing.

Yet both must be done, if I’m to be successful in either circle.

Talk about stretching my comfort zone.