Another Writing Secret - Avoid Complacency

Sometimes it’s easy to get stuck in a rut or the “new normal,” and complacency sets in. I am grateful for all the author opportunities that I’ve had during this journey. I also feel that I always need to keep learning and growing. The publishing world changes almost daily. Here are some ideas to conquer the humdrums.

• Learn something new for your writing career. Try a new tool or a new social media platform.

• Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone. Volunteer. Teach a class. Mentor someone. You learn when you grow and stretch and help others.

• Listen to feedback and decide what you can use to improve your writing. Not all reviews or feedback from critiques are constructive. But learn what you can.

• On days you don’t feel like writing, challenge yourself. Can you complete a shorter writing session? Can you work on other book marketing tasks in its place?

• Get yourself organized. I always do better when my work place is neat.

• Do something that scares you a little bit. Try new (safe) things. We have new recipe Tuesdays to mix up our stale dinner menus.

• Start a craft or a creative project.

• Look at your online analytics for your website and social media sites. What can you learn from them? What can you change to improve your posts? See what posts and times work better for your audience.

• Look at last year’s revenue and expenses. Where can you improve? Are you paying for things or services you don’t really need or that don’t really help your writing life?

Writing is a business and it’s a commitment. I’m always looking for things that I can do improve. What would you add to my list?

Asking for Blurbs - Tips for Writers

Authors (and publishers) like to have blurbs (recommendation quotes) from other authors. Sometimes, your publisher/publicist will help you acquire them. If they don’t, here are some tips to help you request them.

• Start with writers in your genre. It’s always good to have others in the industry blurb your book. It also helps if they read/write the type of book you do. They understand the conventions and the readers. (I wouldn’t ask a fantasy author to blurb a cozy mystery.)

• Seek out your published writer friends. My writing and critique group friends have been very generous with their time. You may find folks who share an agent or publisher with you who would be willing to trade blurbs.

• Don’t ask the same people to blurb each of the books in your series.

• Look at the book bloggers in your genre. They may be willing to give you a blurb if it’s the type of book that they recommend and read.

• Give those you are requesting to help you as much lead time as possible. Everyone is busy.

• Make it easy for the person. After they agree to send you a quote, send them an ARC (Advance Reader Copy). Also provide a short summary or synopsis of the book.

• Don’t be disappointed if you get a “no” or “not right now.” Again, everyone is busy.

• Think outside of the box. If there is an expert in a field related to your story, he or she may be a good option for an endorsement.

• After your book is published, collect the reviews in a document. Many publishers will ask for “praise for” quotes. These are often included inside of the other books in the series. You can also make graphics of the great ones to use on your social media sites.

• Always thank the person who takes the time to read your work and send you a quote.

Write Books and Cash Checks - Not Quite

When I was younger, I thought a writer was one who created books and cashed checks (and occasionally did a book signing). When the first contracts arrived, I realized, writing is a business, and you need to treat yours that way.

Guard Your Writing Time - Life gets in the way, and you have so many obligations. You need to schedule time for your writing and call it work. If it’s a hobby or entertainment, it’s not valued for what it is. When people ask what you’re doing, the answer is working.

Schedule Your Writing Time - Make sure you schedule some time (every day if possible) to write and to do research or marketing tasks. When it’s on the calendar and reserved, I tend to treat it like a scheduled, important event.

Brand Yourself - You are a writer. Make sure you have the tools to network. You need business cards and a website. Your tools should all have the same look and feel as your social media sites. Make sure your headshot is professional and is current.

Build Your Email List - Your email list is your list of contacts. Make sure you take a sign-up sheet to all of your events and put a registration form on your website. If your social media platforms go under or you get banned, you will have no way to contact all of those followers. Spend time cultivating your contact list.

Network - Writing is the solitary part, but you need contacts and the support of others. Join writers’ groups in your genre. Many have networking opportunities, classes, and opportunities to share information with other writers. Build your contacts. You never know when you’ll need an editor, cover designer, publicist, etc. Plus, other writers are awesome sources of advice.

Keep up with the Adminy Tasks - Writing is a business. (I’ve said that before.) Make sure you keep up with the details like filing receipts, tracking mileage and expenditures, and paying taxes.

Know That Your Time is Valuable - You can’t do it all. Figure out what tasks you can afford to hire others to help you to do. And this is a tough one, but you have to learn how to say no to things you just can’t do.

This is a tough business and a tough job, but it’s also so rewarding.

Some Valuable Advice I Learned over the Years

I am so grateful for all the encouragement and support my writerly friends have shared with me through the years. It’s been invaluable on this writing journey. Here are some of the ideas that resonated.

• Not every reader is going to buy, read, or like your book. Your book is competing with millions of books for attention. You need to target your book marketing toward people who read your genre.

• The good news is that readers read and buy more than one book a year (month, week…). Other writers aren’t your competition.

• You will not be everyone’s cup of tea. There will be bad or not-so-good reviews. Learn what you can from them and move on.

• You need to be social on social media. It takes time to build fans, followers, and readers. Don’t be that “buy my book” author all the time.

• Your email/newsletter list is valuable. You own it. It takes care and feeding to grow it. (If your social media platforms shut down, you’d have no way of contacting your followers.)

• Writing is more than creating books and cashing royalty checks. It’s work, and it’s a business. If you’re serious about your writing, you need to treat it like a business.

Daunting Tasks - Tips for Writers

We all have tasks that cause us to procrastinate. For me, editing is the hardest writing task. I have to figure out ways to keep myself motivated and focused. It never fails. I’m supposed to be updating a manuscript with edits, and then I’m off watching llama or cute dog videos. Here are some ideas when for those pesky, daunting tasks.

• Break huge, hairy tasks into smaller chunks. That way, you can see progress when you finish the smaller milestones.

• Reward yourself when you finish. I take a social media break after five chapters of editing. I get to switch gears for a minute, but I know that I’m also working on what I’m supposed to.

• Make lists and prioritize items that need to be done first. That way, you can schedule things that don’t have to be done right away. It doesn’t feel as daunting when you realize everything doesn’t have to be done right away.

• When I’m doing my not-so-favorite tasks, I make sure that I’m super comfy…warm socks, favorite pen, awesome playlist, and my favorite drink.

• If I don’t pay attention, paper, sticky notes, and copies of things pile up on my desk. I try to keep the loose paper under control weekly. If I don’t, then there’s a mountain of clutter which becomes its own challenge.

• Try to make a schedule for things you need to do on a routine basis (e.g. updating your website, checking your social media sites, answering emails, etc.) If you know you have a timeslot for that work, it becomes part of your normal routine. And like the mounds of paper, it’s much easier to tackle a little at a time.

My Book's Going to Be Published - Now What?

If you thought it took a long for agents and publishers to respond to your query, wait until you get your publication date. It seems like it’s so far in the future. Here are some things you can do that will help prepare you for your book launch.

• Work on building your email list. This is the one thing you own. If your social media sites are removed, you have no way of contacting those readers. Find ways to advertise your newsletter and build a following. Do social media posts, partner with other authors, or host a contest. Make sure to take your sign-up list to all of your events. Make sure NOT to add anyone to your list who didn’t sign up for it.

• Build your following on your key social media sites. Follow readers and writers in your genre. Follow book reviewers and librarians. Be active with your audience. Make sure to comment and share others’ posts. You don’t want to be the author who only posts about her books.

• Join Facebook groups for book lovers. Many of these will let you advertise your book or host a take-over day where you can find new readers.

• When you do a Facebook take-over, make sure to include a link in each post for your email signup for those who what to keep in touch. When I started doing this, I’ve noticed a jump in newsletter subscribers after each event.

• Work on a promotional plan for your book launch. Even if your publisher is assisting with the publicity, you’ll still need to schedule blogs, blog tours, Facebook ads, and events. Make a list of all the things you will need to update and a list of all those you will need to contact. Remember, bloggers and book tour folks usually book 3-4 months in advance.

• Learn a new skill or software that will help you create graphics or videos. There are a lot of free and paid tools out there that make it easy to create images for your social media posts.

• Use your time and write your next book.

Another Writing Secret

Persistence is a trait you need to develop for your writing journey.

The Brittanica Dictionary Online defines this as “the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something, even though it is difficult” (Brittanica Dictionary, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. Accessed January 2023).

Writing for publication is difficult, all-consuming, and often overwhelming. Each phase: researching, planning, plotting, writing, revising (and revising) takes a lot of time and energy.

It also takes a lot of courage to show others your work and to ask for feedback. The natural inclination is to want praise and accolades for your beautiful manuscript that you’ve sweated and bled over for months (or years). While praise is awesome, uplifting, and reassuring, you need the feedback that will help you get your work published. Publishing is a business. Agents and publishers are looking to represent projects that they can sell. It’s a crowded market out there. Your work has to be the best it can possibly be because you may get only one chance with an agent or editor. It takes a lot of work to get a manuscript to that point. Don’t give up.

Here are some ideas that may help you along your writing journey:

1. When you think your manuscript is done, print it out and proofread it again.

2. Check all the details like names, physical descriptions, and the story’s timeline for consistency.

3. Run your word processor’s spellcheck after each major round of editing to catch any booboos you may have made correcting other things.

4. Find a writing partner or a critique group and exchange pages or manuscripts. It’s best to find someone who writes and understands your genre.

5. Know what’s out there in your genre. Sometimes, a manuscript can be rejected because an agent or publisher already represents a similar one.

6. Make sure that you read your genre regularly to understand the trends and conventions. Read the acknowledgments page to see what agents and publishing houses produce books you like.

7. Find an independent editor, especially if this is your first manuscript. They can be pricey. I asked my writer friends for a recommendation, and I found an editor who specialized in mysteries. If it’s not in the budget, seek out a middle or high school English teacher in your area. Often many will do side-work at an affordable price, and they can help you with basic edits and proofreading.

When your manuscript is the best you can make it, then it’s time to do your homework and target agents/publishers that represent your genre. Follow all submission instructions.

Now, the wait begins. Sometimes, you’ll get a quick response, but others could take weeks or months. Use that time to write your next book and to build your author platform.

Persistence is key. Writing is a tough job with lots of feedback and rejections.

What to do When You Don't Feel Like Writing

I try to write every day, but life does get in the ways sometimes. And there are days when I just don’t feel like working. Here are some ideas to jump start your creativity.

• When I am in writing mode, I try to “bank some words” to meet my weekly goals. This gives me some flexibility for days with less productivity. I also do this if I know I have a busy day with not much time to write.

• Work on other projects like your website, blog, editing, proofreading.

• Work on book marketing or event planning.

• Build your social media platforms by following new accounts and responding to comments and posts.

• Excercise. Even a few minutes will get your endorphins pumping.

• Take a break and go for a walk (even if it’s up and down the hall). A change of scenery is often good.

• Work on another creative project like cooking, painting, sewing, etc. Sometimes, it will help you get your mind focused when you return to writing.

• Step away from your desk and go somewhere else. The time away is often the break you need.

• Make sure you’ve turned off or blocked out distractions. Sometimes, shutting the door helps. I use my noise-cancelling headphones before I throw in the towel on an unproductive writing session.

When I’m not motivated, it’s usually because I’m distracted by something else (usually my phone, email, or social media). My headphones were a great investment.