I have no problem marketing my own stuff because if I fail, who cares? The only person whose butt is on the line is me and even when I fail, I learn from it. But it’s a whole different feeling when it’s for someone else.

I posted that video the other day about bulk updating a calendar, shared it around the usual places and… that’s pretty much it. I didn’t obsess, I never looked at how many hits it got or anything. I made it because I wanted to make and whatever come for it, come from it. I’ve already moved on to the next thing.

But I made another video recently and I made it for someone, or rather something else, and because it’s not for me, I can’t stop worrying about it in a way I never would have if it were just a video I made for myself. I want it to do well, I want it to get shared, I want it to accomplish its purpose. And every marketing misstep I make in getting it out there, and I’m making plenty because I’m too close emotionally so I’m doing stupid things, makes me more crazed about it.

You see, NaNoWriMo, a non-profit near and dear to my heart for which I am a volunteer needs funds in order to keep running and I wanted to help. I know there was talk last year of how well the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge did in raising funds with its viral video challenge and was there a way we could adapt the basic idea into something to help get more donations for NaNo? To that end, I created the NaNo Selfie Sprint Challenge, a video writing challenge that, in theory, should spread resulting in, at worst, a few more people who didn’t realize NaNo needed donations realizing it and maybe making one in the future and, at best, some kind of big fundraising push.

You can see my video for it below:

Is it a perfect idea? No. But like that song that is always stuck in my head from The Easter Bunny is Coming to Town goes,  “Someone’s gotta be first.” I figured as long as I started something, anything, then other people could always take it, run with it and make it their own. And the people I’ve challenged have taken the ball and started running with it and challenged new people and I should feel relieved because my part is done. I do not. There is still much fretting, much making of mistake, much insanity.

Why is there this difference? Why do I care so much more about what amount to a favor I’m trying to do for an organisation than I do about the actual real things I’m doing for my career? Does this speak to my confidence in what I do for myself… or my doubt in how what I do looks to others?

This is one of those posts where I don’t have the answers. I do find it very interesting, though, and I’m hoping the fact that I’m aware of the difference means I’ll be more able to conquer whatever this weird thing is until marketing is just marketing, no matter who I’m doing it for!

PS: If you watched the video about and were curious to see my NaNo Selfie Sprint Challenge video, it’s here.

PPS: If you know of any writer-types, particularly if they are familiar with NaNoWriMo, I’d really appreciate your sharing the video above with them to help me spread the word!