Networking Through Time

A Peak Behind the Currents of a 30-Year Book-Writing Veteran

Photo by Hans-Peter Gauster on Unsplash

I didn’t realize that L Frank Baum, who wrote the iconic book, “The Wizard of Oz” led an intriguing life with connections to the city of Chicago.

His timeless classic, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," was published in 1900. A testament to its enduring popularity is that it has never gone out of print since then. The story has further transcended media formats, having been adapted into movies, theater plays, and musicals.

One of the fascinating facts about "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is that Baum wrote the novel while living in Chicago, one of the places I call “HOME.”

His home in Chicago has influenced aspects of his work. For instance, the Emerald City in his famous book has often been speculated to represent Chicago, which, during his stay, was rapidly growing and transforming, much like the shining, new, and somewhat intimidating city Dorothy and her friends aspire to reach. Additionally, Baum and his wife and children were at the famous World Fair in 1893 in Chicago that brought more than 27 million people to “The White City.” It looks like a vision of some imaginary place. It was created to help people imagine what their respective cities could look like.

But what has my weekend learning about Baum have to do with my journey? I think of the 30 years of story writing, stories that are both true and fictional, has helped my life’s journey more worthwhile than any other path I could imagine taking. After working with a New York agent and traditionally publishing nine books over a decade followed by ten years of leveraging my ninth book, Networlding (a seven-step process to create transformational networking outcomes) I turned my attention to helping other authors achieve similar success to mine.

Now, in the last twelve years I’ve payed it forward turning my focus to helping over 165 authors write thought leader books. These are people who come to me with a passion for not only using their wisdom to write books but also their passion to make a difference. This is now my “sweet spot.” Twelve years of working one on one with a group of some of the most wonderful leaders I could ever imagine I would meet, I now have brought the authors together to create a community that would turn into a powerful group of committed authors supporting one another.

And behind the curtain of my work is my heart that yearns constantly to help authors who are passionate about writing and getting their books out into the world where they can make not just a difference but a BIG DIFFERENCE. For me? I know the surprise and heartache I have felt, for example, when after getting the book my editor, Cedric Crocker liked best over the three books I had published with Jossey Bass (a publisher focused on leadership books), was called: “Angels in the Workplace.” That book incorporated 49 stories of real people who held these make-a-difference spiritual beliefs as follows:

• Faith

• Hope

• Charity

• Courage

• Truth

• Trust

• Love

Writing that book became a task I felt deeply committed to. As the eighth book I was working on, it was different from the standard leadership books I usually wrote. The year it took to write this book was filled with worry about how it would be received - would people dismiss it or maybe even laugh at it?

Nonetheless, I chose to keep going. With the hope that my readers would appreciate my effort, I used my fears as a motivation to try harder, creating something I hoped would resonate.

This process proved to be a reminder of the resilience needed when facing new challenges. It was not about merely creating another piece of literature, but about putting forth a unique narrative that could inspire change and spark insightful conversations.

Looking back, it was worth it. Not just because it was a successful step outside of my comfort zone, but because it reiterated the importance of risk-taking in creative pursuits and also demonstrated the power of determination. It also helped a young woman who was let go from her job in Switzerland. She sent me an email that included the words:

“Melissa, they are coming to escort me out of my office of out of this plant where I work. I am ok though. Because I read your book, “Angels in the Workplace” I know that I can weather the storm of being let go. Thank you with all my heart.” 

Now, all I hope for is that others might see this path, consider their own potential for growth, and take their own journeys into the unknown. After all, it's through these shared experiences and challenges that we can connect further on a human level.

But there is much more to the concept of “Networking Through Time.” For example I wrote a book (not published yet) looking at Mark Twain’s network that included connections through time to Michael Jackson (stay tuned for that one). My plan is to just start giving my books away through tools like Book Funnel and free on Amazon other venues where digital books are sold.

I call this my “Give Back Time.” I do hope you will sign up for my newsletter and enjoy the wisdom I have to share having had so many different rich writing and publishing experiences. It’s truly a time to “Pay My Wisdom Forwar.” Won’t you join me?

Want more? Check out my 850+ blog posts at my website, Networlding, that help you through whatever writing block, journey, or question you might have about outlining, writing, publishing, launching, and marketing your book. And don’t forget to take a moment to become a Networlder by listening to my growing podcast with one of my favorite authors (in this case co-author): “Awake in the Network: Where Destiny Happens.”