Writing Has Taught Me to Prioritize

How many things are left undone during your day?

I’ve found that I have SO MANY things to deal with in these final days leading up to my book launch. Yes, I’m a month away, but there’s a lot to do in that month:

Write all the author interviews and guest posts

Contact all the people who have agreed to review a copy of the book

Find new venues for book signings, channels of distributions, etc.

Solicit more reviews and posts for the blog tour

Set up the book launch party–including the Rafflecopter book giveaway

Fix up my website–including all the difficult back-end stuff

And that’s ASIDE from all of my regular work! I still have my day job to keep up with, plus spending time with the missus and kids, trying to relax a bit, hit the gym every day, continue the work on the TWO books I’m currently in the middle of writing, and more.

So how do I get it all done?

Sadly, I can’t! I can’t do everything every day. I can only do some of what needs to be done, so I am forced to decide what that “some” will be.

First off, regular work. Have to pay the bills, so that’s the first thing I get out of the way every morning. I don’t do ANYTHING else until I’ve finished my writing work for the day.

Next, I have to make progress on the Book 2 of my new series, The Last Bucelarii. I can’t rest on my laurels just because Book 1 is coming out. (August 21st, by the way. Mark it on your calendars!)

After that, it’s off to the gym and cooking lunch–two important tasks that have nothing to do with my professional career, but have everything to do with staying healthy and productive.

A quick shower and nap later, and it’s back to work at my desk. I prepare all of my work for the next day, so it’s easy to start writing first thing in the morning.

Then I’ve got to keep plugging away at the book I’m writing for the Writers’ Bootcamp I’m attending. Great stuff, but more work.

Finally, and by now it’s evening, I have to decide what I’m going to do for the book launch. Thankfully, I’ve got the author interviews/guest posts all dated, so if I write two per day, I’ll have the 30 to 40 posts done well before the post date.

A bit more time working on my website, sending out emails, and doing all the other things, and it’s off to dinner and a relaxing evening with the family.

Sure, stressful days, but it’s the only way to get things done! The fact that I’ve prioritized everything is how I continue to pay the bills while working at my book launch, make progress in TWO separate novels, and actually launch the book in one month’s time.

It’s all about putting the important tasks first, and fitting the other “less” important tasks in around them!