Last Friday I spent some time with my planner to figure out my writer priorities. I wasn't sure what I wanted to focus on--drafting the rest of the Love Inspired book due in November, working on promo items for my release in October, or drafting more of my nonfiction book…
When I’m feeling blue, I don’t want to write. I don’t want to do anything writing related, either. I just want to sit on the couch, eat peppermint patties and caramels, take a nap, then sip coffee and watch the Food Network.
Do I sit on the couch and do all those things? No.
Well, I might take a thirty-minute break to indulge in them, but for the most part, I force myself to get something done on my work in progress.
Writers sit. A lot.
This writer certainly does! But I’m trying something different–I put together a makeshift standing desk to avoid sitting so much.
Some writers (and other work-from-home professionals) buy special stands to convert their desks from sitting to standing. Others have invested in treadmill desks. Then there are those who walk and dictate. I’ve tried dictation. It works in a pinch, but isn’t a long-term solution for me personally.
All of these methods to get out of the chair intrigue me, but I’ve never been motivated enough to try them.
Well, last week I was exhausted. I’m talking tired every day to the point I barely got anything work-related done. Part of it was a disruption in my routine (I had appointments every day). This week, I decided something needed to change.
For one week, I’m working while standing for at least an hour every day.
Distributing digital review copies–where to start? One of the many struggles authors face in today’s publishing world is how to get advance copies of our ebooks to reviewers.
In the early days of having my street team, I would put out a call for anyone in the group willing to read/review my book. I would then gather their email addresses and send them a digital copy of the book. As the group grew, it became more difficult.
A street team is a group of readers who help promote your books by reading/reviewing ARCs, sharing book news/graphics with their social networks, or by generally getting the word out about your book.
An ARC is an advance review copy or can be referred to as an advance reader copy.
Promotion and marketing are ongoing tasks for writers. What’s the difference between them? I’m not a marketing major, but I’ve been doing my own marketing and promotion for years. I have my own way of defining them.
For me, marketing is the overall strategy of building my platform. Promotion, on the other hand, is the overall strategy of selling a particular book.
There isn’t anything technically accurate about this definition. It’s just the way I separate the two in my mind.
The goal of these tasks is to provide content to my platform on a regular basis as well as attract new readers to find and follow me. Then, when I’m promoting a new book, the additional book-centric content is a natural continuation of what I’m already doing.
As the seasons change, our writing habits change, too. It's human nature. We're not robots! Plus, where I live, the short, frozen days of winter stretch into long days full of sunshine and heat. I want to be out in all that sun! Back in April it seemed reasonable to…
Organizing digital files. You might be asking what’s the big deal? You always find the files you need…eventually.
But what about last month when a blogger asked to interview you and needed the blurb and cover of your latest book? It took a few minutes, but you found them. Then you got another email requesting the covers of all the covers in the series. That’s when things got dicey.
This year I challenged myself to read fiction for a minimum of twenty minutes every weekday. (#20for2020) I’m LOVING this! I’m trying different authors, different genres, and best of all, I’m enjoying the stories. A few weeks ago I read a historical romance novel set during the French Revolution, and I’m currently reading a contemporary romance.
Do you ever feel uncomfortable as you stare at the cursor on the screen or the blank line in your notebook? I do ALL the time!
Here’s the thing. I love writing. But before each writing session, I struggle with discomfort.
I've been reading romance novels since I was thirteen. Sure, some say that's young, but I have no regrets. I would buy old Harlequin paperbacks at flea markets. They were typically from the 70s and early 80s--very clean and intriguing! I was hooked. I still read a lot of romance…