Keeping Up the Juggling Act

Keeping Up the Juggling Act

In the beginning of my writing career, the goal I strove toward was to achieve publication. Over time, that began to be realized. First came magazine articles, a story accepted for publication in an anthology and eventually...a real, live book in hand. Wow! I still recall the wonder and thrill of it.

My enthusiasm and inner urge to write kept growing stronger but with the publication of a novel something interesting began to happen. Since I wasn't fortunate enough to get my manuscript accepted by a major traditional publishing house, (and even when that happens these days, the author is expected to generate all the buzz), I found myself having to devote more and more of my time to marketing and publicity. Anybody else share that experience?

And with each additional book, the need to devote my energies into getting word out and reaching readers seemed to increase. Book-signings take time to arrange; once on the calendar, there's all the notices to send out to an ever-increasing list of contacts with hopes someone will show up and make the effort worthwhile by purchasing a copy of your latest work.

At times I resent this need to assume a false identity of publicist and marketeer. All I want to do is write, take pen and paper in hand and create an imaginary world peopled with interesting characters.

Anybody else feel the same?