Nobody said it would be easy

I love what I do: Writing stories for others to enjoy. I don’t, however, devote all of my time to writing.  There are many other responsibilities for an author who owns his own publishing company.  Here’s an example of a typical week for me:

I get up on Monday and start the marketing plan. I spread the word about my work to as many people as possible.  Emails, blogs, website maintenance and word of mouth.  I contact libraries, bookstores and anyone else who’ll allow me to come in and either speak or sit at a table and sell books.  After these tasks are completed, I work inside my new novel for 4 hours.  I limit myself to 4 hours per day because I’m meticulous about each paragraph and sentence being the way I want it to be.  After 4 hours, I’m exhausted.

The same process is repeated Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, if I have a show, I’m off to sell books. If I don’t have a show, I’m mapping out my plan for the next six months: This involves booking shows, organizing my plan for audiobooks and kindles to sell at the shows, and working with my agent/manager in seeing these things through. One day a week, I meet with my Editor/Reader to go over the book I’m working on.

On Saturday and Sunday, I do my shows in whatever town I’ve found and aggressively practice my sales pitch and smiling!!  My pitch is filled with positive adjectives, warm greetings, and invitations to have a look at my work.

On Monday, the whole cycle starts again. There are times when I become frustrated.  There are times when I’m giddy. Most of the time I keep an even keel, convincing myself and others that I have what it takes to be a very successful writer. I’m determined to be relevant in the writing world.

Staying disciplined with your nose to the grindstone is the key. I don’t just sit around waiting for things to happen. If I want success, I must make things happen myself.  I’m not beyond sitting outside a store or market or wherever passing out cards and flyers explaining what I do.  If I want to make it, I must sacrifice of myself.

I’ve always been an organized person and it pays off.  Some people write a book, throw it to Amazon or wherever, and rest on their laurels, thinking the money will fall from the sky. Not me!  I’m striving to make it better and better every week.  If I don’t bust my tail, nothing will happen.

I love what I do and can’t understand why I waited until my 40′s to start a serious run.  No matter, the best things in life are worth waiting for; and working for.  If you want writing to be your life, you’d better write more than one book and you’d better be determined.

They say the cream rises to the top….I hope it happens for me!  Nobody said it would be easy, and it isn’t. Like Tom Hanks said it himself in the movie A League of their Own…”It’s the hard that makes it good!” Agreed.

Filed under: writing process Tagged: drive, marketing, shows, work