No Time For A Writing Career? Do This

I think I'm the Queen of No Time. I've not been able to put together any marketing plan for my new books in the last few years. I've barely managed to publish a few books. It's been hit or miss due to a plethora of personal factors.

I'm not the only one in this situation. I can name nearly a dozen writer friends who have been dealing with Life problems during this same time period. In case you're going through something, I just wanted to offer a little advice based on what I did.

Things got better when I decided to quit beating myself up about the fact that Life just wasn't working out the way I wanted it too. Yeah, let's have a pity party. Whine. Whine. Whine. Based on the downward trend in Life, I already knew things could be a whole lot worse.

So I took stock of everything including the available time and what was really important to me. The answer, for me, was to take care of my family and also to keep writing.

Eventually, Life would turn around because that's just the way Life is. Things would get easier. But if I quit writing while dealing with problems, I would end up losing. Writing is a part of me. It makes me happy.

Keep Your Sanity—and Your Writing Career

1. If Life hands you lemons, learn to make the best damned pitcher of lemonade that ever existed.

Yes, deal with your problems the best you can, keep a good attitude, refuse to give in to negativity, and keep your hand in by continuing to do what you love. In my case, that's writing stories about women and men who are meant to be together because they are made for each other. Even if they don't know it yet.

2. While you're weathering the storm, keep up with what's going on in the book scene.

What books are popular? Which authors are popular? Who's writing ground-breaking, genre-bending books? What social media is helping authors? In other words, stay on top of the news and stay connected.

3. Refuse to believe that you have to do everything yourself.

Yes, writing, formatting, proofing, editing, marketing, publishing, hanging out on 27 different social media websites, etc.

Guess what? You really don't have to do all of that. You can barter services with knowledgeable friends or hire a freelancer if you can afford it.

As for social media, if you like it, and it lifts you up, by all means stay with it. Be realistic. No one can keep up with umpteen different social media sites. Pick and choose. Be really good at one or maybe even two, and let the others pass you by or maintain a minimal presence.

4. Avoid drifting through the days.

Time waits for no one. Even if you're doing non-writing things day after day, keep track of your time. The habit of thinking, "I'll do that tomorrow," is a habit that can ruin your writing life. Make a Day Planner or a calendar your best friend. If you're not writing, jot down in your calendar what you are doing.

You may find you actually have some time every day to write. If you are writing and have deadlines, then create milestones along the way to keep you on track so you're not writing 50,000 words the week before a deadline.

5. Refuse to compare your writing career, your books, or yourself to other authors.

Everyone's career is different just as your stories are different from any others. Believe in yourself. Believe in your ability to do well. Keep writing. Comparing yourself to anyone else is just a one-way ticket to Envy Land. 

Takeaway Truth

Always believe that your situation will improve. Always believe in yourself. Always be writing.