Just a Book ... or a Blessing?

By Theresa Anthony

Have you ever had an epiphany, a sudden, crystal-clear realization, that literally shot tingles from the tips of your toes to the top of your head? This was my experience just a couple of days ago, so I thought I’d share about it.

As an author who is in competition with 30 million book titles on Amazon, I have had to rely heavily on social media to market my three books. The harsh reality for authors is clear. If you don’t make the effort to draw attention to your books, they’ll quickly sink into obscurity. In this regard, social media platforms have been extremely useful.

Although I’d created author pages on Facebook and Instagram, I had steadfastly resisted creating one for TikTok. Why? Because TikTok is primarily geared to Gen Z and millennials, who are not my audience. But a few months ago, after having resisted for nearly six years, I finally threw caution to the wind and joined TikTok.

It didn’t take long before I noticed a distinct difference between TikTok and the other platforms I use for marketing. I admit I was surprised to find engagement on TikTok to be more personal and the users quite compassionate. Before long, I was making meaningful connections with the people there and am now part of a highly supportive community of fellow grieving moms.

One day this summer, I received a DM from a man telling me about the loss of his son and how broken up his wife was even after a year had passed. He asked if he could purchase a signed copy of my memoir (My 13^th Station) in hopes that it might help her. Because I know this pain so intimately, my heart just ached for her. I was so moved by this husband’s concern for his wife that, instead of selling him the book, I wrote a personal message to her inside the cover and gifted it to her. After she received it, she found me on TikTok so she could thank me, and we’ve continued to communicate and share on the app ever since.

Then last week I received a DM from a gal who told me about a friend who’d recently lost her son. She felt so sad for her friend that she was planning a special Christmas gift for her by collecting letters from other grieving mothers who could offer some support:

… “I’d love to include letters from other moms who’ve walked a similar path – just words of encouragement, understanding, or simply to remind her she’s not alone. If you’d be willing to write something, it would mean so much.”

You guessed it. Not only did I write her friend a letter, but I also gifted her with a copy of my second book Hope Springs from a Mother’s Broken Heart, a self-help book specifically designed to help grieving mothers navigate the grief journey. What came to mind was that old saying that it's better to give than to receive, because sending her this small token of support truly filled me with immense joy.

After taking the parcel to the post office, I returned home and stood in my kitchen processing these two recent events. First the loving spouse and then the devoted friend, both reaching out to ask for my support. Hence, the epiphany. I suddenly realized that my books were blessing people in a real and tangible way. And how through my TikTok account, I am discovering renewed purpose as an author in an unlikely place.

So, regardless of whether my books are purchased by someone or gifted by me, it’s a beautiful feeling to know I am helping others in such a personal way through their own difficult grief journeys. It makes all the hard work that was involved in writing and marketing those books so very worth it.

[Don't forget to tap the heart button!]

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