How to stay focused on your art while still paying the bills.
One of the hardest parts for me, as well as several other self-published writers I know, is how to generate new works and properly promote the books we've already self-published with the little spare time we have left after the ten-plus hours of most full-time jobs as well as the demands of being actively involved with our spouses, partners, and children.
I teach Philosophy and English at a small rural community college in Missouri, and my schedule in the summer is limited to a few online course, which leaves me free for a lot of creative time in my day. I spent a great deal of that time over the past few months creating this website, which was an exhilarating experience that inspired me to get started on my third book.
However, as the summer drew to a close, it was time to gear up for the full Fall semester, in which I teach seven classes, plus committee meetings, extracurricular activities, not to mention my kids and grandkids with all their school-related activities. If I'm not working, I'm often playing Uber-Dad in both senses of the term. This leaves me with little time for creative activities in the evening, especially since I haven't seen my wife all day, and she'd rather I not hibernate in the basement tapping out these little missives.
What does this mean for those of us who don't write for a living but who would like to? Work harder and send out more queries isn't the answer. I spent last summer querying dozens of agents, none of whom were willing to take a flyer. I don't think this is reflective of my writing or the subject. Publishing is a business, and the business is far more limited than it used to be before the Internet age, not to mention that markets are stressing diverse authors as well as diverse stories and characters. A white guy like me writing about white Europeans doesn't generate a lot of excitement in New York publishing houses.
Of course, on-demand self-publishing makes it possible to bring my work to the market, but it doesn't guarantee sales unless I also act as my own marketing agent. As anyone who works in sales, promotions, advertising, or public relations: it's a full-time job all by itself. This requires its own commitment of time, effort, and money, three things that are always in short supply.
So what do we do? Give up the dream and wait until those magical retirement years to write the stories we've always wanted to tell? I've waited long enough, to tell you the truth, and as my third novel begins to take shape, I'm eager to get started. In looking ahead at my semester, here's what I'm going to try to do:
1) Write at least 250-300 words every day; more if I can manage it, but shoot for 2,000 words per week minimum. If I do that for a year, that would give me over 100,000 words. My second novel (coming out this October!) is a little over 110,000 words, and it took me about five years of working in fits and starts to finish a first draft. One year for a draft would be miraculous for me, and hey, I'm still light-years ahead of George R. R. Martin in terms of speed.
2) Blog on this site and post to social media twice a week on Monday and Wednesday. I plan to focus on the life of a wanna-be writer (well, I am a writer; what I want to be is a writer whose works are read!), the creative process, and books that hold my interest. I want these blogs to be must-reads for those who follow it. Feedback is always useful if you're reading this!
3) Make two promotional posts on social media related to the Kingdom of Llanfyllin website. For now, I'll focus on my first book, Dylan's Treasure. As October gets closer, I'll start to tease "The Spring of Llanfyllin," then focus on that book through the end of the year.
So that's it. It's a commitment to write for at least 30-60 minutes on the new book, then commit about an hour to promoting the website. I can easily waste that much time watching television or scrolling through my Facebook feed. I know that life's demands, both professional and personal, will sometimes get in the way, but wherever I can find the time—even if I have to wake up an hour earlier than usual—I hope the commitment will eventually pay off.
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