Prioritizing - From my Blog Imagine this, if you will... Its a beautiful, warm summer day. You decide to head to the beach...its early, in the middle of the week, and you figure there shouldnt be too many people there. You pull in to park, and notice only a few cars in the lot. You smile to yourself, relishing in the fact that you are one of the few who could make it out this day, and look forward to some quiet, relaxing time on the silky sand. You get out of the car, smell the ocean breeze, and can see the waves gently lapping up to the beach, calling to you. But as you approach, you start to realize that there are people at the beach. A few steps closer still, and you see that the beach is packed with people, every square inch covered, reaching for as far as you can see in either direction. A little disappointed, you decide to go ahead, and try to find a spot anyway. Some people are very nice, offering spots next to them, where you can squeeze in, or offering advice on where to go. Others arent so nice, ignoring your presence, theyd rather not be bothered. Others still, are actually fighting over spots, and who has the better spot, and so on. You are shocked, seeing so many in one place, and try to make your own path, to find your own spot. Its not easy, but you keep moving, and eventually find your own space. But how long you hang on to your space is up to you. Welcome to the world of independent authors. Heck, independent anything...musician, singer, artist, etc. No matter which creative talent you sign on for, youre in for the same treat. There are thousands of people trying to make their marks in each respective industry. So how do you get you and your work to stand out amongst the throngs of people? Unfortunately, there is no one proven method that works. You have to work your ass off, create something great, then promote the hell out of yourself. All the while, researching, and reading about how others have done it. Nope, it definitely isnt easy. But you have to ask yourself, how bad do you want it? For me, this question came sooner, rather than later. After publishing my novel, I started discovering all the extra work involved. Perhaps I was a bit naive, but I was just starting out. It didnt take long before I was overwhelmed. Theres so much to do!! Theres social media, and blogs to keep up with, then theres research, promotions, websites to join, and somewhere in there, time to work on the next novel. I had built up so much pressure, trying to come up with something witty for every blog post, every Facebook post, that my head just about burst. Sure, Im a writer, but Im also a mother, a wife, and its just not possible to write 24/7. I was so stressed out, I found I couldnt write a single thing. Then I finally took a deep breath, backed away from it all for a minute, and did something I hadnt done in a long time. I journaled. I poured my heart out on the pages, and when I was done, I felt a lot lighter. Suddenly, my creative mind started working again. It was amazing!! One of the main things to come out of my creative breakdown, was the fact that I need to prioritize. Yes, there are a million things that need done, but if I continue to leave them all piled up, nothing will get done. So its time to get things lined up, and maybe Ill get a better handle on them. Its tough to balance the importance of each. Writing for the second novel is on top, but so is promoting the first. If I cant build a fan base for the first, then theyll be no need for the second. Next is research. Articles on what works, what doesnt, what worked for some...its an ever growing market, and things can change almost daily. Sadly, with the way Facebook works, its not an effective selling tool. The reach just isnt there, unless you pay. But, there are other outlets to use, and Ill keep researching until I find the ones that work best. Carving out time for each task will take some finesse, but Ill get there. I found a blog called the Guilty Writer, and that little statement hits home every time I read it. Because whenever Im not writing, I think about writing, and feel guilty that Im not. Because there are so many writers out there, you have to work three, four, even five times as hard to get noticed. But have faith...I know I do. It may not come easy, but it will come. Do your research, read as much as you can about the whole process, dont be afraid to ask others for help. I, for one, am always willing to help out other indie authors, and do so whenever I can. Learn as much as you can, and when you think youve got everything, go back and do some more research, because I guarantee you missed something, or something has changed. Just dont stop. Keep moving forward. As always, keep reading, and keep writing, my friends.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:51:36 +0000
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