Wednesday, October 9, 2013

On my first days as a published author

Hey all! Today I'm at Mark Koopmans's blog, talking about why paying it forward is so important.

BTW, the Paying Forward Awards are on, and I'm collecting prizes. Please see here for details.


Some of you might be wondering what I'm up to at the moment? Signings? Press releases? T.V. interviews? Nope. I'm being a writer. I.E. I (supposedly) write.

At the moment, though, I'm struggling a bit. I'm so busy with writing blog posts, visiting blogs, checking my Amazon rankings (seriously. It's something I do compulsively.), responding to comments on guest posts and interviews etc. that when I do sit down to write, the words aren't there.

Which is annoying, because I know my muse is tapping her feet, waiting for me to get my butt into gear. But maybe I'm not in the right mental space to write. Which sucks, because deep down, I know I need to get writing again.

I need to escape the craziness that is being newly published and to focus on my real love. Yes, I'd love to be read. I want desperately for people to read The Vanished Knight. But first of all, I love creating stories. And I feel that if I lose sight of that for even a moment, my creativity will suffer.

So what I'm doing is this. I set a goal for 31k words this month. And every day, I'm sitting down by a blank page. If the words come, I write. Even if it's nowhere near my daily goal. I'm not forcing out more. But I am dedicating time to my muse.

Hopefully, the words will come easier as I fall into the new routine that comes with being a published writer.

How do you balance marketing with writing? Do you think I'm nuts for even trying?

52 comments:

  1. I allocate time and try my best to stick to it. If I succeed, I get to reward myself with something fun. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good luck as a published author. The first of many??????

    Yvonne.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yahhy! Finally the day has arrived :)

    Wishing you all the very best, and continued success as you move forward :)

    PS... my post will be Live! in thirty-three minutes (12:01 a.m. HST. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think you are doing well. At least you are still trying to write, which is a good sign. I can't imagine myself doing so many things at once, so you are Super woman. All the best.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lol I'm far from being Superwoman. I keep dropping stuff I'm supposed to be doing.

      Delete
  5. I had trouble with that when I first published - it feels like you have to do everything! Best thing to do is focus on writing your next book rather than worrying about Amazon rankings (although it's taken me 8 months to stop checking mine, and I might relapse when my second book comes out tomorrow! :P). Best of luck! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha yeah I really have to work on that focus.

      Hope your book's doing well!

      Delete
  6. Will visit you at Mark's blog!
    Find a balance. You can't let the writing slide and you can't pull completely into the cave and away from blogging and promotions, either.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True. Struggling with the balance thing, though. :-/

      Delete
  7. You're in the right place by setting a goal and making an effort. I imagine it would be quite hard to switch off from all the marketing when you've just released a book, but I'm sure you'll be back in a routine soon! Or adapting to a new one - I think we are all doing this all the time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah I just need to keep trying until the writing falls back into place...

      Delete
  8. They always say the best way to sell a book is to write the best book you can. I think writing should be top of the list because in its essence, that's how you market too. But then I'm not a published author, so maybe I don't know much. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true. Really really really should be writing.

      Delete
  9. Yeah, don't get distracted by all the other stuff, especially if you want to make your goal.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm with Nick. Setting a goal is essential. After that it's finding ways to reach that goal which means to test different marketing methods. Andrew's right, don't let the other stuff distract your primary goal.
    So excited for you Misha. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Mina!

      The goal is set, but I'm still struggling. :-/

      Delete
  11. In my former life, we took all kinds of time management courses and they worked well in that structured office environment. Since I've been writing full time, nothing seems to work. If you find the secret, please share.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Routines definitely lend to productivity, but I also think there are seasons. Just like animals store food for the winter in fall, your focus has to change with the seasons of life. A book release definitely is a unique season, and I think you should allow yourself to enjoy it, fully, and not pressure yourself to write until afterwards. My humble two bits.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True. Definitely gave me something to think about...

      Delete
  13. I go through phases when the storybuilding comes easier and then others where it Does.Not. I find that I do a lot of thinking about my WIP during those periods. I have also decided that active thinking counts as writing. Maybe you need to spend some time just getting inside the head of your MC or plotting the next chapter. Thinking is working, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's my problem, I suspect. I'm having issues just thinking about my stories. :-/

      Delete
  14. It's a tough job balancing writing with other aspects of being a published author, I imagine. I love your goal (on your header) and I'm cheering you on!
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Nutschell! I hope I crack the balancing act soon.

      Delete
  15. I think both are equally important, but publicising yourself means nothing if you're not writing! I always just focus on the writing itself first. Then once at least the first draft's done, I start gradually getting the hint out that I've got a new book 'in the works'. Just my way of doing things :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true. I'm so going to find a way to get focused tonight.

      Delete
  16. You need to step away from the rankings, lol! Seriously, my life became less stressful when I did. You get sales reports on the 15th of every month and that should be the only thing you look at. Base your marketing on those.

    Good luck. You must be so excited.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lol I'm trying. Down to checking about every three hours now... :-D

      Delete
  17. I have not yet had the pleasure of balancing a published book with my writing. Some day I hope to have that difficulty! I'm sure you'll find the right balance. From what I hear, it gets more manageable with experience, and of course, trial and error. Good luck and congrats!!

    Happy reading and writing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha yeah I guess this counts as a first world problem. :-D

      Delete
  18. I love the marketing and promo aspects of writing. But honestly, I'll be doing both at the same time as I have a couple more books outlines I want to finish.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah I'm also enjoying the marketing. Maybe a bit too much, in fact...

      Delete
  19. I'm still trying to figure out how to balance marketing and writing and everything else. And it doesn't do much good to look at the rankings (even though I look at mine way too much too). And your book hasn't even been out a week yet. It's okay to spend a bit more time marketing and being excited about it all. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha true. The ranking doesn't tell me all that much, but it's so nice to see the numbers shrink. :-D

      Delete
  20. I'm not published yet (not one of my novels), but I hear this from so many writers it has made me wary of the post-pub time-suck and muse-block. I hope I can find a balance then, because I'm struggling to do that now. 0_0

    Maybe it'll get better with time. Most things do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope it does get better, because I can't really afford to get stuck like this every time I publish. :-/

      Delete
  21. You're not nuts at all, just trying to figure out how to do what you need to do at this point. It's an exciting juncture. Enjoy the ride.

    xoRobyn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I'm definitely trying to enjoy it as much as possible. Only one first book and all that.

      Delete
  22. You'll slow down on your Amazon checks over time, even though it is sort of fun to see what's happening.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha good to know. It'll be nice to feel less than OCD again.

      Delete
  23. It can be difficult to get any actual writing done with all the other activities that we find we have to do, isn't it? Hopefully things will settle down for you soon.

    ReplyDelete
  24. The balance between writing and markets is tough. Both are important. It ebbs and flows. I can't say I always hit it though. I doubt any of us do. Just keep trying.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I don't think there's anything wrong with taking a break from your writing to focus on marketing your book. It's something that needs to be done so I say just enjoy this moment. Set a date to get back to your writing but in the meanwhile, enjoy connecting with your readers. This is a big deal. Celebrate!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm trying to! But my muse keeps giving me these baleful stares...

      Delete
  26. Very true. Odd thing is, I want to write, but my thoughts won't fall into line...

    ReplyDelete
  27. I think 'balance' is an exaggeration with my writing and marketing. I kind of do whatever I feel like when I feel it....haha. Congrats on pubbing your book!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for commenting! I love to read what you think.

Feel free to ignore the check-box saying "Prove you're not a robot." My word verification is off, but I moderate comments to posts older than two weeks.