The other day subscriber LG wrote to me to tell me that the Kindle version of my book "The Copywriter's Handbook" (Henry Holt) displayed some odd symbols on some of the pages.
Though I thanked him, the truth is: I don't care and, not being the publisher, I can't do anything about it.
In fact, I was unaware that there was a Kindle version of this book!
Does this fact - and my lack of interest -- shock you?
The reason I don't care is: bandwidth and focus.
While an author with one or two books may agonize over every screen of the Kindle version of his book, I have 80 published books. And I don't have time to proof the Kindle version of even one of them, let alone all of them.
Also, I have a full load of copywriting assignments, and my copywriting clients are my #1 business priority - and serving them takes most of my time.
It comes down to bandwidth: I have a finite amount of time and energy, and therefore I can nly attend to a limited number of tasks.
And it also comes down to focus: I have to set priorities, which means focusing on only the most important tasks - and letting the others go.
I must do this if I am to be successful in my copywriting business, which is of prime importance to me.
I find almost universally that people who have not achieved the level of success they desire lack focus: they feel they have to pay attention to everything, no matter how small or trivial - even though doing so can seriously impede the achievement of your goals.
For example, there is a small group of people who scan the dozens of articles on my web site and seem to take great delight in finding and pointing out a typo to me. I wonder why they are doing this instead of perfecting their own web site. Do they not value their time?
Here are my recommendations for accelerating your progress toward your goals:
1-Don't waste your time on unimportant, trivial things.
2-Focus on tasks that are important and contribute to your success.
3-Treasure your time like, as Dan Kennedy says, the gold in Fort Knox.
4-Get busy. Most successful people I know are busy.
5-Work hard. Whoever said "work smart, not hard," was wrong. Successful people work smart and hard.
6-Focus on what you do best. Farm out everything else.
7-Don't feel you have to do something just because someone asks you. Learn to say no.
8-Set priorities, because your bandwidth, like everyone else's, is limited.
9-Become obsessed with ROTI - return on time invested - for every activity you undertake.
10-There is plenty of success advice out there from people who are not successful. Ignore it.
Sincerely,
Bob Bly
Bob Bly
Copywriter / Consultant
590 Delcina Drive
River Vale, NJ 07675
Phone 201-505-9451
Fax 201-573-4094
www.bly.com