Today was spent doing two things I love: being in pajamas and watching Parks & Rec. I did start off by writing, but I’m going through the second draft of my second book *really* quickly and it’s making me nervous, so I figured I’d stray away from the computer and watch early Chris Pratt and laugh at (one of my heroes) Amy Poehler. Not a bad way to start 2018.
Of course, one of our water pumps broke during the night and Batman was super not happy having to go out in sludgy, wet (feels like) below frozen temperature to do something with the pipes. I really have no idea. My chores include laundry and keeping the house up to a clean-enough level for livability. But apparently, we can’t do anything that involves major washing and a freeze is supposed to come through on Thursday so that put everything in a really positive mood for the new year. Hence Parks & Rec.
But I did carve out two hours to sit and work on 1.) this amazing blog post and 2) more of BTN. I’d like to say I took the whole day off from writing, but those days are few and far between and I always end up feeling kind of bad about myself when I do, except when I absolutely can’t write, like when I’m at Disney or on an awesome vacation. Today, unfortunately, is not one of those days, so let’s get to that question for IWSG:
What steps have you taken or plan to take to put a schedule in place for your writing and publishing?
A plan would be nice, wouldn’t it? I’ve been kind of doing my own thing, which is a nice way of saying I don’t know what I’m doing. At all. The only part that I’m comfortable with is the actual writing part – and that sometimes is too much too. Forget marketing. Forget putting together any sort of plan or schedule to get things done in the smartest way possible. My current strategy is: write something awesome and when I think it can’t get any more awesome, make it available to others. Super cutting-edge—I know—but it’s all I’ve got.
So. 2018…this needs to be the year of change. The year I maybe do a little more to get my work out there. At the New Year’s Eve party last night, fabulous Shelby again raved about my books and told me I don’t give myself enough credit. Maybe I don’t. Maybe I’ve been doing no marketing because I don’t think my books are good enough, so I subconsciously don’t want people to read them. I don’t know. It’s just a guess. But if I’m going to be in this business (and I really want to) I need to treat it like a business. I need to be doing more. I need a plan.
And it’s coming together nicely 🙂
What about you? Do you have a plan? Do you think your writing is good enough to be marketed?
Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) is a monthly blog hop for writers at all levels to share their fears and insecurities in a safe and encouraging place. Please drop by and say hi to Alex Cavanaugh who started this nifty concept in bringing us all together.
You’ve hit on one of my major insecurities – not thinking that my stuff is good enough to be read. 🙁 But I’m still trying to push through that and come up with a plan to publish and market my book.
All the best for the New Year!
Thanks for the post. It sounds like you self-publish? I’d love to hear more about what that has looked and felt like for you. I, too, struggle to plan out my life beyond the next 24 hours. Good luck with it, and happy writing to you. Also, happy 2018! 🙂
Yep! Self publishing 🙂 It’s been… oh it’s been fun. Happy 2018!
No plan, no structure. Right now I’m just hanging on by my teeth and fingernails. One day we’ll put it all back together again.
Good luck with YOUR plan, and keeping on target. Happy 2018!
Same to you! (and hey, at least you’re still hanging on!)
I like the “let’s see where this goes” planning. Produce something awesome (I say you’re on track there) and making it available. Sounds like a good start.
Thanks! It’s a good start, but it’s kind of left me in limbo-nothing-is-happening-land. I need to put some more into it. A little, at least 🙂
First: Stay warm!
Second: Sounds like a good plan to me. My plan this year is to abandon all plans. The structured so-called-legitimate-writer-schtick has crushed my soul and left me angry, bitter, and unhappy. I am going back to the do-what-I-feel-like way of doing things and f*** worrying about sales. The train has left the station, and in the current climate in order to make bank author’s need to devote waaay more of their lives to the whole thing than I want to do. I’m happy for those who do want to do it, who have that level of passion for it, but I don’t, and trying to fake that level leaves me unhappy, so I am going back to being a so-called “hobbyist” – first by dropping out of 98% of all author groups and avoiding 98% of the “You must/must not do these things to be considered legitimate!” articles/blogs/posts. Awwww. Feels better all ready.
I think I’m still doing the ‘fuck sales’ thing but I would like to be a little more interactive with people. I’d still like to build up an audience so I can get excited for them when I’m about to release something.
I’m sorry you’re angry, bitter and unhappy. I’ve felt like that for a while. Why doesn’t being an author (or any kind of artist) come with some sort of amazing side perk? Like having an amazing metabolism or really good skin. That’d be nice.
Happy New Year, CG! I keep hearing great things about Parks & Rec, and I’ll have to check it out some day. I didn’t know Chris Pratt was in the show!
Your question about whether a book is good enough to be marketed is an interesting one. Do you feel uncomfortable marketing your books? To me, marketing isn’t an evaluation of the quality but more a means of spreading the word to let people know about the product. (It’s also about money for me–how much do I want to spend in spreading the word?) I leave it up to the readers to decide on the quality. Reading is so subjective that even if I love my story, I know some will hate it just because they don’t like the genre or subject matter or character quirk or…
We must always give ourselves credit for a job well done. The real challenge is doing it without seeming self-important.
As to what book is good enough to be out there? I have no idea anymore. Books are getting awards that I can’t read. Others that I find incredible and riveting, are not. Thank goodness there are still some great books in both categories.
I often feel like that too – that my stuff is not good enough. That’s why I started submitting short stories to magazines. Each time my story is accepted, it is a validation of sorts. Someone thinks my writing is good enough to include in their magazine. It’s happened enough times already to make more sure of myself. Not super sure, but enough.
I have something that can loosely be called a plan for 2018. So far this week – zero progress. Well, its early in the year, lol.
Planning? Marketing? Ha! I say. Those things are important, I know, but the reality of doing them is daunting.
It is a business, and it’s not always a high. Your plan sounds like you’re moving in the right direction. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Stay on course, and I bet wonderful things happen.
I always think my writing’s not good enough too. But I know I’m getting better! My goals for this year are pretty vague. But I will write!
Happy New Year!
I get that feeling too about my writing not being good enough. It’s something we all struggle with. A couple years ago, I set about making a simple plan for promotion and marketing and it’s going pretty well. I’ll be blogging soon about how it went for 2017. If you’re curious about my plan, I’m fine with people stealing it and you can read about it here. https://www.patricialynne.com/blog/how-i-made-a-promo-plan
I definitely hear you on that, thinking maybe my stuff isn’t good enough to read and therefore being very paradoxically reluctant to actually encourage them to read it. It is so true.
I definitely hear you on not planning anything. >_< I've always hoped that if I put everything into writing, and made it good enough, people would notice and want it and all that. I know nothing's ever that simple, but still. But at least the new year is a good time to try to make some changes.