Amazon Bestseller Launch Crisis & Learning

I’m diverting from my usual addiction focus to talk about the Amazon Bestseller Launch of last week and what I learned from it.

My dad had a saying, “no harm, no foul.” He was a man afraid to take risks and he used that phrase both in kindness to others and to avoid conflict. I’m also afraid to take risks, but I’ve learned to push through the fear and take action anyway, and I’m not afraid of conflict. Thank you Dad.

The Amazon Bestseller Launch of Jan 12, 2010 was a bit of a crisis. My goal was to move Intentional JOY: How to Turn Stress, Fear & Addiction into Freedom into the top 10 ratings for that day. Did we accomplish that? No. In fact, only about 6 sales registered with Amazon for the day. However, through technical magicianship by Virtual Assistants Karen and Carrie, we ended up selling the equivalent of 90 books through my website.

It was a nightmare of a day yet I’m proud of how we all handled the challenge. Instead of freaking out (as I might have done a few years ago, or running to some addictive activity),  the three of us pulled together and figured out what could be done to save the day and make sure people got their bonuses from the sponsors and were able to purchase books if they wanted to through my website  (www.lynntelfordsahl.com).

Robert Kiyosaki, of Rich Dad, Poor Dad fame, says that too often we’re afraid to make mistakes.  My greatest learning has come from the mistakes I’ve made in life and I’ve made some doozies.

My coach, Jan B. King, of eWomen Publishing, called to express sympathy about the launch and to encourage me to do it again; now that I know what and how to do it. I couldn’t think of that last week ... perhaps in the fall.

What I learned from the Amazon experience is that taking risks is how we stretch, that when working with a large, non-vendor friendly company to make extra sure of the details, to appreciate the importance of self-care – breathe baby breathe – and to be grateful for all who participated – from customers to sponsors.

From one of my favorite authors:

"The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing and becomes nothing.  He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live."

Leo Buscaglia, 1924-1998,  Living, Loving and Learning