NINE DAYS TO GO.........

Self publishing, Radio interviews, Living, Laughing and lots of LOVING!!!

Louise Coghlan

Oct 07, 2022

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Monday’s Joyful Messing:

Today, I did my first in studio radio interview ahead of the book launching in nine days time...This is the link to the interview if you might like to listen back to it.....The Late Lunch Radio Show on LMFM

My part starts at 18 minutes in... I’m really happy to have the first one over me & there was a great buzz in the station about it all which hopefully is a great sign...Thank you to sooo many of you who emailed and texted in...That was so nice & I'm so grateful for your support always.....I'll always be on your team #jumpingwithmyparachute #mediatour #selfpushlished #aleapoffaith

I'm also including this little video I took with the presenter afterwards...I was close to getting upset in it because Gerry was so kind to me & this was our first time meeting face to face...I hadn't a clue what he was going to say but it was magical...All these little bits help with getting the word out about a book/project...The old me would have automatically did this for all the artists and musicians I represented as part of my PR company but this time, it's me I have to plug & ask for, which is a much harder situation...But as I keep telling myself, if I don't plug/push myself, then I will be the one left with boxes of books in my hall... This is indeed all part of the writers story of making our way up the mountain, particularly when self publishing...To learn the ropes of believing in yourself is integral to how you share your book...We often feel its ego/self promo but it's just part of the story once you have the book written - communicating that you have a book is the next step. My thinking on this is once I stay true to who I am and keep smiling, things will work out just as they should...But equally with this stage of the release, it's all about the power of communications and building connections and community so all moments of support must be captured...Gerry was so excited recording this video but if I didn't ask him, I would have been out in my car sitting on my tod, thinking...oh darn, that was a missed opportunity to bring more support with me.....You only get inside radio studios once & it's important to embrace the moment...I also took plenty of photos and tried my best to just enjoy the moment (This is my number 1 priority - to have fun & make memories along this journey as well as my life) ....I shared this video on FB and it has close to 3000 views...I know many would say it's not about numbers and it's not in someways but in other ways it is...I have invested all my savings, my time, my blood, my sweat, my tears and my broken heart into this book & now that it is written, I need to give it (Irish terminology incoming).....as much welly as I can....I need to give it socks.....and I need to give it my all.... to communicate that it's now written & it's out there to all I can....None of us like the self promotion part (I felt so wobbly in asking Gerry, I even considered not doing it as it's just so hard to ask for yourself) but sure the minute I asked, Gerry was like, I'd be honoured to do that for you... I just hope this story might give you the confidence boost to know others believe in you and when it comes to your book, your project, anything you are working on you too might be brave enough to ask for help or support...Every little helps...Every little move I make could bring another reader closer my words & for me that's what it is all about...Moving closer to the person who gets me. The person who gets my words. The person who wants me to write & they will be the reminder that I keep writing too...I just thought I'd share this as an idea for WHEN you are in the same situation as myself 🥰 Sorry this is so long but I just thought since I'm in this very intense, learning moment of book publishing (& life in many ways), it's good to share as it might give you the lift, the light & the reminder that someday it will be you sitting in the radio studio speaking about your BOOK or following your dreams!!! Monday was a really good day for me personally. And I have to give a big mention to BREDA ROGAN - a Facebook family member who not only met me in Drogheda but bought me my lunch, drove me to the radio but also cheerleaded me all day long. Where would you get it? I actually don’t know how I’ve been so lucky to find such amazing people in my life. But what I do know is, I’m so so lucky and I feel so grateful. I will never take any of you for granted and bless myself twice thinking of not only Breda but you all! I love ye all dearly and thank you for your amazing support through this journey of learning, losing, hurting, healing and loving all over again.

You are my lights!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday & Wednesday’s Wobbling Wonders

Two messy days whereby I was feeling very stressed and upside down. I can’t even explain how I got to this but I know a lot of work was done but it just felt like I wasn’t get enough done fast enough. Something I’ve always worked at in my life is my friendships…I love my friends…And I always will. And in return for loving my friends, I think they kinda love me too and in that magical ship of friends is an awful lot of really good people willing to put on my lifejacket….So every time I’ve wobbled and particular of late in this run towards the book launch, my friends and family have stepped forward & quickly comforted me and gave me the space to let my mad thoughts run around and eventually settled me back into myself…When I say that, I know it’s natural at this stage to wobble. Why wouldn’t I? I actually think wobbling is a very normal thing & if anything wobbling means you are aware of what is about to happen and you want it to go well. You are also very open to the reality that things can & no doubt will go wrong and in your wobble you are airing those feelings….You know what I always say about feelings and thoughts….Feeeling need & should be felt and thoughts need and should be shared….Once you do that, you will see the fog starting to lift….and you will feel more able, more free, and you will be better armed to cope with life & with whatever you are facing….. In my situation I know this is a really magical chapter but I also know I’m human. My body, my mind, my spirit, my soul and even my brain senses the finishing point. It’s like a cast on the run up to their first live show. A surgeon waiting for their first ever solo surgery. An author about to release their first book. The thoughts running through all our heads? Can we actually do this? Am I good enough to be here? Will I have everything ready in time? What have I forgotten? What makes me think I’m the one to be doing this? Will I fail? Will I succeed? Will I fall flat on my face? Maybe I won’t but maybe I will? A thousand questions of doubt and insecurity rising to the top & the only way to cope with this part is to be close to people we love and to share in our madness. I have looked twenty five shades of madness this week and last too but I’m happy I was…it makes me human. It also takes away the ego and reminds me I’m just human and more importantly I am a human just trying her best to get to an end goal. Maybe even make a dream come through while fulfilling a promise I made to my one hundred and seven year old grandmother. So this paragraph is dedicated to all the people over the last few weeks and over the last months who have saved me from my own wobble, have settled my mind and my heart and have given me their confidence and support to tell me I can actually do this & no matter what, I have friends & family who love me so therefore I know I am the winner in my own story just for that! THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME & THANK YOU FOR BEING MY FRIEND XXX

My gorgeous friend Louise Ferriter Walsh - I owe this smiling face of Louise so much….she’s such a good person xxx

Thursday’s Thankful Thoughts

Today I began with a few wobbles - as stated above - that’s just my new normal now……yep wobbling Lou until someone takes control of me & reminds me to breathe….once that happens i’m back on track and all is go, go, go again. I live by my lists…a list for my list…A list about my lists…I now list where I’ve put my lists…you get my vibe I’m going for at the moment ;) I have about 27,000 of them in my head….and then about another 27,000 of them in my notebooks….some of them I move down…some I get hard to move at all. Some get deleted….some never get looked at again but a lot of them get thought about over and over….and as the days move forward, the list are getting more messy yet they are being struck off if that makes sense…..The focus for now is the launch - both the physical and the virtual all in one go on the 16th (am I crazy? Yes I am crazy! Knowing you are crazy is half the battle right?!) and then of course we have the whole joy of the distribution chain ( and how so many avenues block you from making any money at all for your craft, never mind you blood, sweat and tears) and also my favourite part if I’m honest….the marketing….I do love that part even if feeling a bit all over the shop at the moment….See what I’ve learned in the self publishing end, is that you not only wear one or two or three hats, you literally have to wear about 27,000 hats and it’s not easy….but I’m hoping it will be worth it…Monday’s substack title was…..Nothing worth having comes easy…..and I completely believe that….Anything good takes work…..A good friend, a good life, a good mindset, a good heart, a good life….it all takes work and that is one thing I am not afraid of…I will work, work and work some more to achieve my goal and then I will enjoy the gaps in between…Minding granny was a joy and an honour but it was not easy. Every night on a fold up bed I pulled down from another room, and then that bed went back up in the morning….all the night gran wasn’t well and I didn’t know what to do…all the nights I didn’t get sleep and the list continues as a full time carer my eyes were opened to so many things I had never faced before but I never gave up. There were a million reasons to give up but there was ONE reason not to and I never let go of that reason. I loved my grandmother and she needed me….so I never gave up. And the same goes for this moment in my life. The last few weeks and this whole process has been really hard on so many days. In writing this story so fast after losing Gran, I was choosing the hard road. I chose to mess, investigate and live in my grief so deeply that it was in ways, a madness but a madness I chose for the better good. I knew this story needed to be written. Yes I promised Gran I would finish it but even bigger than that I knew she had lived a very special life & that her very bright light could shine on as a beacon of hope forevermore & if I did it properly it could shine for so many…..So it was worth it in everyway to take the hard road. See in life the things that we find hardest often lead to the most wonderful places and I’ve no doubt that’s where I am now (among my five million lists)…..See in ten days time, the launch will be over and I’ll looking back at this journey and I will be saying I’m so lucky to have met so many people because of this journey. So lucky I met so many amazing people because I didn’t give up, because I didn’t let go, because I chose the harder road. And most importantly I will be reminded of my belief system on how I’ve chosen to live my life. When you see death take people you love, you are not only reminded of how fragile life is but more importantly you are reminded of all about the people you choose that make your time on this worthwhile. These are the people keeping you looking up. These are the people keeping you laughing. These are the people keeping you smiling. These are the people keeping you living! AND THESE ARE THE PEOPLE KEEPING ME LOVING! And this is what life is all about. In my writing group, we have a space called the Cabin….it is a virtual room whereby we meet to do work together in silence…..well on Thursday, I was again reminded of the magic of the people who have come into my life purely because of this book….As I said I bless myself twice when I think of the people I love & how lucky they love me back & these cabinators are very much on that list. These people even though they live in my computer, in my virtual world I love them dearly and on so many occasions they have saved my life. They have not only saved my life, they have saved my story & you will find lots of them mentioned in the book. They have caught me wobbling and they have helped me back up. This story would not have been written without them! It would have forever lived inside my soul and I might never have been able to talk about it again never mind write about it. I will be forever indebted to my LWS family & particular to my cabin family….The same goes for my Facebook family….I love ye all dearly and you too have saved my life so many times…I can’t thank you enough for what you all mean to me. And of course my dear friends who I’ve hung around with for years and of course my wonderful family…..In life we choose our people and in this moment, I know I’ve done good. I’ve got the best possibly people around me and I could never thank you enough for what you do for me and for all the love you give me to keep me looking up! I hope I return it to you and you know how important you are to me!!! That’s Thursday’s thoughts over and out xxx

Thank you this week’s Meath Topic….really grateful for some many people helping me & gran with our story x

Friday

Well that’s today and there isn’t much of it gone by the time you read this….But what I do want to say to you about today is I hope it is a really good day for you! If it’s heavy and troublesome, I hope it eases as it moves along and never forget you are able for anything that comes your way. There is a saying I love, ‘God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers’…..so you can handle anything that arrives on your path I promise you. I hope you Friday is smooth and I hope its kind to you. Me I have seventeen lists of lists to get through but no matter what, I must keep the big picture in view……and that is indeed that I am healthy and well, my family and friends are healthy and well, I have a roof over my head, food in the fridge and I have enough money to pay my bills…..At the end of the day that is all that matters. This time next week this will be my final newsletter before the launch and then a few days later it will all be over…..and Monday will begin again….like every other Monday…and that is indeed keep the big picture in view to help me see the small picture….Keep looking up substack family…keep smiling…keep living. Keep stepping along. Keep loving! And don’t forget, everything will be ok in the end, I promise.

Love and light and thank you for everything,

I wouldn't and couldn’t be doing this without you,

Lou xxx