I'm trying to work through this new author balancing act. It has given me more than one nightmare.
My personal energy comes from creating a new story. From stringing words together that might make it worthwhile for someone else to read. I write for myself, yeah… but to be honest, I really want someone else to find an escape—some pleasure—when they read my words. I'm a sucker for affirmation. But right now, if I'm not focusing on the book that's already out there, I'm focusing on initial edits for the next one that are dragging me down. If only I could write well enough the first time around that I could read through it once, call it good, and ship it off to an editor who would find very little that needs improvement. Yeah right… whose dream did I just slip into?
With the publication of my first book, I suddenly find myself in a cyclone. There's a convergence of past, present and future that all relates to and hinges on my choices. How much time do I devote to all of the pieces that need some of my time?
My sales are about to offer me a break-even for the editing, cover design and interior formatting. But suddenly I find this amazing actor who I think would be perfect for an audio version for which I've had requests. And then there's that website presence we've been told over and over again we need and that I don't have the expertise to handle on my own. It's all money beyond what I want to pay right now. On the other hand, maybe there's part of it that would be a good investment. These items take more time. More consideration. More research. Less writing.
And then for a day my sales falter. I frantically try to figure out what I can do to "fix" things. Should I tweet more? Do I need to get involved with Kindle Nation? Would a trailer help? Is this a fluke or am I settling in to more realistic sales? (And while I'm here, small rant: some readers were disappointed there wasn't more romance. I never described my book a romance. There is no tag that purports it to be a romance. Not even a romantic suspense. The cover, the title? No romantic themes.)
In my heart of hearts (speaking of romance), I believe the best thing I can do to help RED TIDE get into the hands of more readers is to get my second book out there. But what do I know?
How do I manage this? What should my priorities be? Have you found a rhythm for your day?
