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I've been thinking about the next step for my writing career. Just writing isn't enough, we also need to be marketing, be worried about ROI above all, and monetarily break up our time (so we know how much we're losing by doing certain things instead of others). There's also trying to figure out how to make ads and newsletters.
It seems like everywhere I turn, there is something else that "must" be done. You HAVE to have a blog OR you shouldn't have a blog-it takes away too much time and therefore not a good ROI. I feel that at any moment someone is going to come up and tell me the secret to being a successful author is to be able to rub my tummy while patting my head and chewing gum.
AKA- there is ALWAYS something else to do to succeed (beyond writing ;)).
I'm all for goals, and yes, I would love to make more money at my writing--but it seems that as of late I've been spending too much energy on all of that. Or at least trying to figure that all out.
I need to find a way to balance, to move my career forward, but not lose what I love to do. If anyone out there has some clues to obtaining that balance, please share!
Happy IWSG Day!
Balance? There's no such thing. We're always leaning one way or the other, but over time, it all shakes down right.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you're right! :)
DeleteWe would all make a fortune if we could bottle that balance thing. I would love to have a staff to help out, lol. Seriously that would help!
ReplyDeleteLOL!!! It would!
DeleteI took an assessment of my non-writing responsibilities and made some cuts. I wanted to keep my group blog, but the blog owners decided to call it quits so that decided for me. I took on a board position with my writers group, so now that's more time, but not *too* much. Mainly, I need to prioritize my own writing over other tasks on a daily and weekly basis.
ReplyDeleteHere's my February IWSG post: Stephanie Scott How I Read Now
It's not easy!
DeleteI totally hear you on this. I am always behind everyone else it seems. You need a backlist...so I write and then I hear I need a 'presence' on line...so I spend time I should be writing doing that. Sigh...hang in there.
ReplyDeleteDanger, Love, and Mystery
Yup! We're constantly running back and forth!
DeleteI think the best thing is to do what makes you feel best. Not everyone agrees on what should or should not be done to market your books. I think the common factor in the techniques that do work is that the author is doing what they enjoy doing the most. Blog if you enjoy it and want to meet other authors.
ReplyDeleteYou are a wise man, Ken :). And I agree. I need to listen to my heart more and focus on the writing.
DeleteFinding balance is key and it's something I'm struggling with as well. I started with setting writing hours. That was a big step because before I didn't make that a priority. On the promotional side, I'm trying my hand at improving with social media. I give myself at least an hour a day to do something on social media. I've started doing twitter author challenges so I can get my name out there and interact with others. Today I just started with my first instagram challenge for the same reason. Not pushing myself in a selling way, just getting my name out there and making connections with other like minded people. I try and do all these things during the day while my kids are at school. That way my writing doesn't interfere with my main job in life, being a mom. It's all a learning process and one I've just recently started getting serious about. At the end of 2017 we'll see how well it went.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're on the right path!
DeleteNewsletters only really work is if you have something that would cause people to read it to begin with. I tried to do a newsletter once, and so many claimed they would sign up if I did one, and when it came time to actually sign up, no one did.
ReplyDeleteThe best way to do marketing of yourself as an author, and your work, is to try to interact with your fans. That's hard to do, especially starting out, it's like putting the cart before the horse. The gaining fans first before getting your work out there is a good way to do it.
But how?
I found for myself was joining some social groups, both online and in public, and letting people get to know me on a personal level. These days, that kind of intimacy is necessary to get the ball rolling in your career. For it to actually translate into sales is a long process, and you still need to do other forms of marketing, but over time, it will help you out.
True :)- a bit late on the trying social media before the books though ;).
DeleteOh I wish I had a clue - I'm asking the same questions you are! If you find out the answers, please let me know! ;)
ReplyDeleteWill do! I think we just need to stay true to ourselves, no idea how to stay that way though ;).
DeleteI hear ya, Jen! If I have to choose, it will be writing. :)
ReplyDeleteI tried that pat-my-head-rub-my-tummy-chew-gum thing. Didn't make me a better writer, or successfully published. Practice, writing more, submitting more, learning more - those are the only things that helped me. I'd prefer just waving a magic wand though.
ReplyDeleteThey do say balance is key. I wish I had some too. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
It never ends, does it?
ReplyDeleteMakes me wonder, whatever happened to just-sit-down-and-write-the-story-and worry-about-everything-later...doesn't exist anymore, I suppose.