10 Reasons Why Collecting No’s Matters for Your Author Outreach and Business

Not avoiding the no’s is the path to a lot more of what you want

Photo by Sunira Moses on Unsplash.

Humans have an evolution-reinforced negativity bias — it’s safer to think there could be a tiger around the corner when there’s not than to presume there’s no tiger when there is.

And yet we still hate no. Go out of our way to avoid it. We can even be reluctant to say no to others.

The problem is that if we don’t take no head on, if we don’t face our fear and discomfort with rejection, with someone having a different point of view, with others having their own priorities, we lose out. A lot.

Because no is often not a hard door slammed in our face. It’s a normal part of communication. No is just a player in conversation, negotiation, collaboration, and decision-making. And these things are part and parcel of the routine reaching out to others that all authors should do — need to do — to meet their author goals and grow the sustainable, income-generating author life they envision for themselves.

Here are 10 positive, affirmative takes on no to encourage a new relationship with this powerful little word and invigorate your business communications.

No makes people feel safe