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News, Fiction Updates & General MusingsKDP Select: Is It Still Worth It? Thoughts for 2013
Yes, I’m going to talk about KDP Select again.
I’ll let you in on a secret. My previous post on how to maximise your KDP Select free days is rather popular with the Google searchers. Maybe it’s because of good SEO, or content, or whatever — I don’t know. But the fact that tonnes of people seem to hit this post every day makes me determined to keep my KDP Select experiences up to date.
Where do I stand on KDP Select going into 2013?
Pretty much in the same place, with a few alterations. I’d recommend reading my last post on KDP first. That’ll get you to grips with the basics behind my philosophy and attitudes towards Amazon’s brilliant tool.
Done? Of course you haven’t, but what the hell. Here’s a few updated attitudes in light of a recent KDP Select promo of What We Saw, my debut novel.
1.) When coupled with promotion, KDP will put your book into the hands of tens of thousands of new readers.
I hear a lot of authors complaining about how KDP Select just isn’t effective anymore. It was a bubble, and that bubble burst long ago.
To that notion, I call bullshit.
Here’s why: I just gave away 11,000+ copies of my novel, What We Saw, over a two day period. It’s a standalone debut novel, so no, you don’t have to have a series, and no, you don’t have to have loads of books.
All you need is promotion. Free promotion.
I’d highly recommend signing up over at AuthorMarketingClub if you want to get the most from your KDP Select promo, and submitting to every single one of the websites. At least a few will mention you, and when they do, they’ll get you from the hundreds to the thousands, and beyond.
What We Saw was mentioned by Free Kindle Books & Tips — one of the ‘big three’ — which no doubt boosted its free run.
2.) Show no fear and you’ll go far
I spoke about the whole ‘aspiring author’ problem earlier this week. I think that sometimes, it’s natural to be a little afraid about doing such a major promo. Thousands of readers… maybe tens of thousands. Sounds great, right?
But what if I’ve made a mistake in my book? What if my cover isn’t good enough? What if…?
And before you know it, ‘Well I’ll just use this promo as a test run. Maybe it’ll do okay.’
And you end up with just a few hundred downloads, perhaps sinking to the lower regions of the Amazon charts as a result of limited exposure.
Every KDP Select free day should be treated as a major promotional opportunity. It should be seen as a way to boost sales and increase visibility. Sure — getting your book into the hands of hundreds is okay, but I’d bet only a few of them will read it, and even then you’ll have no chart exposure to help you push on.
Drop those fears. My last post pretty much covered everything in this respect. If your book ticks all these boxes, you’re good to go.
Which leads to my next point…
3.) The marketing doesn’t stop when the book moves from free to paid
Another problem authors appear to have with KDP Select is the lack of impact it has on post-free sales. Again, I disagree with this because What We Saw is selling at a better rate now than it has at any other stage this January.
Why do some people not sell any post-free while others flourish?
Again, it all comes down to promotion. I’d recommend putting aside £25-£50 for every KDP Free promo and invest it in promotional opportunities. I’m partaking in WLC’s ‘Social Media Mania’ package today to keep things going, as well as a couple of others. Choose your favourites and go from there.
4.) If a book isn’t performing in KDP Select, pull it from KDP Select
Sounds simple really, but if a book isn’t grabbing many downloads despite promotional efforts (I’m talking somewhere below 1,500-2,000ish), then pull it from KDP Select.
Edward Robertson describes promoting a hard sell as ‘pushing a boulder’, and I rather like this analogy myself. Silhouette, my sophomore short-story, never managed to pull in more than 1,000 downloads despite my best efforts, so instead of persevering with KDP Select, I made it available on Smashwords, Kobo, and other stores. It grabs the odd sale every now and then on Amazon, and will no doubt increase in popularity when I have more books out, but for now, I’m experimenting making it available everywhere.
I think I’ll pull Something in the Cellar from KDP Select next month too. Although I achieved around 5,000 downloads last time, topping the short story charts, I didn’t see enough of a post-free boost to warrant giving away so many copies. I think short stories in general have a hard time in Select, particularly with reviews (‘but it waz so short!’) so perhaps make them as widely available as you can. Maybe make one perma-free when you have a few books out.
Summary
We’re well into 2013 now, but how have my views on KDP Select changed since day one? Not a lot, really. For short stories, KDP Select probably isn’t worth it, unless you’re a seriously prolific short story writer. For novels, particularly newer authors (say, 3-6 novels available), I think it’s worth it. A free promo once every 90 days seems to be enough to give a book a temporary shot in the arm.
Keep writing more books and don’t worry about promotion too much, other than the sort I’ve described in this post. New releases = more popularity = more sales = more money = making a living off doing what you love: writing. That’s the ultimate goal, right?
Use KDP Select as a platform to start your journey towards that ultimate goal. There are few better platforms, that’s for sure.
This post now has a sequel. You can access it here.
Where do you stand on KDP Select? Have you had any good or bad experiences that you would like to share?
Aspiring Authors: Stop Calling Yourselves ‘Aspiring Authors’
I suppose this is something of a follow-up to last week’s writer’s block post, in that it’s another common issue I see in writers, particularly newer ones. Call this the January Writing Blues series, or whatever you fancy. The fact is, I have an issue with aspiring authors.
I know this seems to be at odds with my whole philosophy — technically, I myself was an aspiring author just a few short months ago. But actually, I wasn’t, because I never really called myself an aspiring author.
Instead, I called myself an author.
What’s the difference?
Well, psychologically, quite a lot actually. I spoke about writer’s block being an abstract concept designed in the deep recesses of our subconscious as a defence mechanism against productivity last week. The dreaded ‘aspiring author’ tag isn’t much different.
But really, what’s the big issue with aspiring authors?
I just think labelling yourself an aspiring author is akin to putting a cushion underneath yourself as you jump, almost expecting to fall down and hurt yourself. Think about it: an aspiring ANYTHING is somebody who wants to be something. And that’s perfectly healthy and natural in some instances. I’m an aspiring multimillionaire. I can’t just click my fingers and become a multimillionaire, so I have to make do with aspiring.
But writing is a whole different matter to becoming a multimillionaire (in the early days anyway 😉 ). Truth is, and grammar teachers and language purists won’t like me for saying this, but anybody can become an author.
Is this a bad thing? Surely if every man and his dog can publish, then it takes away the quality of true works of genius, undermining the prestige of the author status forever?
Well, I say shut up and learn to live with it. There will always be bad books. There will always be good books, too. The rise of the digital age and innovations like Kindle Direct Publishing and Smashwords just makes it easier to get our stories out there. Sure, somebody might write a less-than-stellar novel ridden with errors, but trust readers to be the judges of quality. They’ve done a pretty good job throughout history.
But anyway, back to the point. The aspiring author. ‘I’d love to be an author.’ I hear it all the time. ‘One day, I’m going to write a book.’
Then they lose the ability to write in an accident and never write that one book.
Harsh, I know, but we’re a species obsessed with fantasising so much that we perhaps don’t realise the magnificent tool set we have in front of us and within us. Instead of saying ‘one day’, why not say, ‘today’? Instead of aspiring to be an author, why not write those first 1,000 words and become an author?! Life’s too short to aspire!
Isn’t there a criteria that makes somebody an author, though?
Probably. Personally, I don’t give a shit about any criteria. I’m an author. I have been since I penned my first short story. Maybe to some people, you need a novel to be an author. Perhaps so, to tick the boxes anyway, but mentally, I became an author long before I published my debut novel, What We Saw.
The fact of the matter is this: you may have good intentions in calling yourself an aspiring author, but 90% of aspiring authors never finish a book. Instead, why not call yourself an author from the off, and start believing it? Tell people you’re an author. Sing from the rooftops about it. That way, if you do fail, then you’ll feel even more of an idiot for doing so.
And surely that’s a good enough incentive, right?
Get rid of the cushion and jump for the stars. Drop the aspiring author tag. It did me a world of good. It’ll do the same for you.
When did you stop calling yourself an aspiring author? Did it have an impact on you? In your opinion, what does it take to become an author?
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Indies Forward Event – 31st January
I’m a big fan of Duolit’s website, as any regular reader of my blog will be aware. They’ve helped me learn all sorts of little tips about marketing and attitude along the way, and their freshness continues to inspire me.
I recently became aware of author Julie Forward DeMay through Duolit’s blog. Julie is an author that chose not to be an aspiring author, instead opting to embrace the moment to write and publish. Her first book, Cell War Notebooks, was released in 2011.
Unfortunately, the book was published two years after Julie passed away following a brave battle with cancer.
That’s why this whole aspiring author thing resonates so much. Life’s too short to dream about the things within our grasp, seriously. One day, everything can be absolutely fine, when the next… we just don’t know.
The ladies at Duolit are hosting an event on 31st January to commemorate Julie and to help bring authors together to promote her book. If you’re a book blogger and you fancy participating, check out this page. All it takes is a blog and a few tweets. I’ll be posting my own special blog on the day, and dropping the occasional tweet too. I hope you’ll join me and loads of others in this special event.
Image courtesy of churl via Flickr
Writer’s Block: Why it’s a Dangerous Lie
I want to talk about writer’s block.
You see, I’ve had a theory about writer’s block for quite some time. I’ve yet to be disproven, so until that day, I’m sticking with my theory. If ever I am disproven, then I’ll be the first to hold my hands up.
Ready? Okay. Writer’s block is a way for writers to bullshit their way out of writing.
I’ve spoken to a few writers who claim to have writer’s block in the past. ‘I just can’t write, because I have writer’s block and it won’t let me write.’ I thought about this statement for a while. Firstly, the notion that somebody has something, like a disease or virus, that won’t let them write.
It’s a powerful thought, isn’t it? Imagine some sort of parasitic being in your brain, ‘writer’s blockius’, or whatever you want to dub it. If it’s something alien, like the common cold is when it affects your breathing, then there’s not a lot you can do about it other than just not write and let it pass, is there?
Actually, submitting to this false idea of writer’s block is not only the worst thing you can possibly do, but it’s what your subconscious wants you to do, whether you realise it or not.
I realise I’m getting pretty deep here, but it makes complete sense. By creating and constructing this alien idea of a ‘writer’s block’, and by blaming that alien idea for your lack of writing inspiration, it’s a perfect way to divert from the fact that YOU, the writer, are the problem.
Newsflash: humans blame people for things. They blame objects for things, too. Don’t tell me you’ve never smacked your head against an open cupboard door and for a split second, either blamed a.) the person who you suspect left it open, or b.) the cupboard door itself.
And yet, the blaming of the cupboard door is completely irrational. In a sense, so is the blaming of the other person too. Blame is just the mind’s way of not taking responsibility for a dumb error of judgement. It’s easier to blame everything but yourself.
Think of writer’s block as that cupboard door, or that other person who may or may not have left it open. Your mind uses writer’s block as an excuse; something inanimate to blame when it simply can’t be arsed to write.
I know I may be coming across as a little blunt, but I think it’s a subject that requires bluntness. The fact of the matter is, in 99 out of 100 cases, writer’s block is an excuse. It’s something to blame. If you don’t like this idea and you kick up a fuss because ‘your writer’s block is so real’ and ‘you’ve struggled to conquer it for months’ then I’m sorry but you’re just stuck in a blame cycle.
What to do when you think you have writer’s block
Firstly, remember that writer’s block doesn’t exist. Look at potential reasons in your life why you may not be writing or feeling inspired — perhaps you’re getting in from work later and can’t quite muster up the courage you used to be able to, to write 1,000 words. Or perhaps you’ve hit a dry-ish patch around the middle of your novel, or are overwhelmed by the details.
See something in common with all of these examples? There’s a real problem at the root of them, and it isn’t writer’s block. In case A, it’s fatigue and motivation. The solution? Re-assess your daily writing goals. Case B? You’re getting a very natural fear that your novel isn’t quite what you expected. Your fight or flight mechanism kicks in. It opts to hide its head under the covers and blame something abstract — writer’s block.
If you think you have writer’s block, the next step is to just keep on writing. Get a new playlist if you like listening to music. Change the time of day you write. More often than not, you’re simply getting overwhelmed by the task at hand, or struggling for motivation.
I’m working on a new novel at the moment. Most days I’ve enjoyed writing. Some days, I struggle. What do I do? I just write. Maybe the first half hour will be a nightmare of uncreativity. Maybe I’ll write nothing but crap. But still, I write.
Writer’s block is the greatest hurdle to all authors. It’s what keeps would-be authors in the dreaded ‘aspiring author’ zone. It’s what leaves potential masterpieces stuck at 40,000 words and locked in a cabinet. What a shame, considering writer’s block doesn’t even exist.
Have you ever encountered what you believe to be writer’s block? Do you believe it exists? What did you do to conquer it?
Image courtesy of Rennett Stowe via Flickr
Self-Publishing Costs: What is the Price of Publishing?
A lot of people ask me how much it costs to self-publish work. The misguided idea that self-publishing costs ridiculous amounts of cash is one that has been drilled into our skulls through years of dominance by the major publishing houses, and the apparent unattainability of a good publishing deal to all but the most fortunate and godly of writers. If you can’t get a publishing deal the traditional way, then the alternative has to cost a bucket-load, right?
Wrong. In fact, self-publishing costs nothing. Seriously. If you don’t want to spend a penny on your work, then you don’t have to, and you can still put a book out there. I’m not recommending this route, because I believe that anything you care seriously about requires a little investment, but nothing that can’t be made back.
Why do people believe the myth that self-publishing costs loads?
I think there are a variety of factors at work here. Firstly, a lot of the major publishers want people to believe this myth, and keep on believing it, because it benefits them financially. Simon and Schuster launched a well publicised ‘self-publishing’ service not so long back, with prices up to $500 for packages not even including professional editing/formatting.
Simon and Schuster are well aware that people can self-publish and market their work without any costs of the sort, but this whole idea that somehow a publisher’s golden seal of approval, even without professional editing/design, means a more ‘legitimate’ book, is still fixed in the heads of many. These are the people who vanity services like the one mentioned prey on.
My advice for a new author planning to self-publish, somewhat tempted by the shiny ‘Published by…’ badge on the side of their book? Well, first, save your cash and put it towards a professional proofread or some cover design. A shiny badge is not worth it, seriously.
Secondly, if you’re still desperate not to have your own name credited as the publisher, set up your own publishing company. The legalities and technicalities vary for different countries so I’m not going to go there, but I took this route simply because I think ‘Higher Bank Books’ sounds more professional than ‘Ryan Casey’. It’s your choice, though. Google it. Do some research.
Okay, enough waffle – how much does self-publishing cost, really?
Excuse the slightly digressing intro. I tend not to plan blog posts, so they can really take a life of their own. I think it’s an important point to make though before breaking down the self-publishing costs, because really, self-publishing costs as much as you want it to.
Here’s what I spend money on. I’m going to be as open and honest as possible. If I miss something/you think I’ve missed something, let me know in the comments.
Editing – £400ish per novel (varies depending on word count, etc)
Cover design – £150ish per novel (I design my own short story covers)
Marketing and promotion – £20-30 every 90 days or so
Website theme – £25
Proof copies – £20 (I ordered way more than this with What We Saw, but beginners learn their lessons)
Website hosting – £2-3 per month
Formatting – £0 (the only cost was 4-5 hours of my time)
Publishing – £0
Free marketing opportunities – £0
Blogging – £0
Etc etc etc etc – £0, £0, £0 and £0
See a pattern forming here?
Sure, I’ve probably bought a few books on publishing and writing advice on top of those figures, but other than the costs of editing and design — the main costs of self-publishing — time is without a doubt the biggest cost.
I just want to quickly focus on a few of those pricing points in particular. Firstly, editing and cover design. I do invest a lot in them because I feel they are necessary investments. I could waste thousands of pounds (if I had them) on silly marketing and promotional opportunities, but without a good cover and a well-edited book, it would be worthless.
If you care about your self-published book, you’ll care about what I call the Holy Trinity of Independent Publishing: editing, cover design, and formatting. You want to be a professional, right? You want a book out there that’s indistinguishable from all the traditionally published books? Then you invest in those three. It will pay off over the years. Maybe it’ll take one book, maybe it’ll take ten. You have to find that out for yourselves. But with every release, you’ll be learning.
Just a word on why I don’t spend money on formatting: I taught myself, and so can you. Guido Henkel has a fantastic guide to eBook formatting that admittedly takes several hours to work through, but it saves me hundreds of pounds every time I format eBooks. That’s hundreds of pounds extra profit, or hundreds of pounds to further invest in editing (although I’d lean towards the former). The sooner you start making pure profit, the sooner you can become a professional author.
As for why I only spend 20-30 bucks on marketing every three months or so… well, I think marketing a single book is pretty pointless.
Marketing and promoting the hell out of a book is counter-productive when your audience don’t have many more books of yours to buy. Sure, you might nick a nice few launch day sales, and that’s fine, but instead of tweeting about your book every day, or spending money on tweeting services every week to get yourself into more debt, why not spend the time working on your next book?
I only spend £20-30 every few months to help promote a book during KDP Select promotions. I do this because I’ve spent more in the past and seen minimal to zero impact on sales. Sure, awareness might rise, but isn’t cold hard cash the main thing?
Just keep writing. Tweet when you want to tweet. Blog when you want to blog. Market when you want to market. But yeah, write most of the time. The costs of self-publishing might sometimes seem difficult to keep track of, but as long as you’re writing work of a good standard (read a few writing craft books), you only really need to worry about that Holy Trinity: editing, cover design and formatting.
How much do you invest in self-publishing? What, in your opinion, makes a book ‘professional’?
Image courtesy of Glikò via Flickr
Writing Goals for 2013: Production Schedule & New Releases
Yes, another 2013 post.
Last week, I spoke about New Year’s Resolutions for Writers. Some great suggestions in the comments — cheers to everybody who contributed. It’s always such a boost seeing people’s ambitious but achievable targets outlined. The start of a new year is a perfect opportunity to set new plans and work towards them.
Seeing as 90% of non-writerly resolutions are broken in the first week, I’ve done well to stick to one of my main writing goals for 2013 of an ‘hour per day’. Five days per week writing 1,500 words every day is something I’m comfortable with, and will result in 350,000 words of new fiction over the year. Win-win.
But how about actual production goals? I realise I was a little vague about that, mainly because goals and resolutions are slightly different. Resolutions are smaller things that work up towards the bigger picture. When I say I want to write for an hour every day, I do that so I can work towards completing 350,000 words of new fiction in 2013. However, my production goals for 2013 are different.
As inspired by Joanna Penn’s post on writing goals, here’s what my 2013 will look like from a production perspective.
1. Killing Freedom (working title)
Killing Freedom is the working title of my second novel. It’s a straight-up thriller about a hitman who, naturally, kills people for a living. However, he forms a bond with a family he is tasked to kill, sending him on a moral and physical journey.
Oh, and a sky-high body count.
I’m currently content-reviewing it at the moment (my first stage of the rewriting process, which I’ll probably post about next week), and should have it all finished and ready to release this Spring.
2. New crime/detective series
Inspired by the Forbrydelsen craze, as well as my love for crime fiction, my first foray into serial releases will be a new crime series I’m working on at the moment. I’m 13,000-ish into the first draft and am absolutely loving writing it. I’ve approached my first draft with a very clear outline and am loving watching the chess pieces move as I write. A lot of fun.
Ideally, I’d like this one out by the end of 2013. Maybe October/November, but we’ll see. It’s very gritty, and a world I want to spend a lot of time constructing. I’ll probably get writing the sequel later this year for a 2014 release.
3. Horror novella series
No real start/finish timeframe in mind for this, just something I’m pondering at the moment. I’ve made room for three novellas in my writing plan for 2013, so maybe I’ll try and get one or two out this year. The third I imagine will launch in 2014. As for content — very creepy, very mysterious.
And that’s pretty much it as far as my writing goals for 2013 go. Feel free to share your own in the comments, and good luck!
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Something in the Cellar free; Silhouette now on Smashwords
Just a quickie to say that Something in the Cellar, my debut short-fiction release, is free today on Amazon Kindle. If you want it, grab it from Amazon.com or Amazon UK.
In other news, Silhouette, my second short fiction release, is now available on all formats via Smashwords. Other stores will follow. Why? Well, I believe KDP Select is a great tool for new authors with novels, but not so great for short stories. So yeah, if you want to read it and you own another non-Kindle eReader, here’s your chance.
What are your writing goals and production goals for 2013? Novels? Short fiction? Non-fiction?
Image courtesy of Ginna from MyPrettyPennies.com
New Year’s Resolutions for Writers in 2013
First things first, how’s that turkey hangover coming along? Mine’s progressing rather nicely, although I am starting to grow slightly sick of eating sweets and chocolates I received…
Just kidding. I’m gorging away, and I hope you are too.
Anyway, I hope you all had a great Christmas. Mine’s been nice, although somewhat surreal without the blog in my life for two weeks or so. Bear in mind I’ve been posting two-three times per week for six months prior to my self-imposed Christmas break, so it feels like an age since I last committed words to blog.
Has it helped? I think so. I’ve reframed a few of my goals, been able to take a step back from my output and assess what really matters to me. I’ve learned a lot in these last couple of weeks (in between drinking and turkey-eating) that I hope will provide a strong platform going into 2013.
Joe Konrath recently blogged about his New Year’s Resolutions for Writers in 2013. He does a ‘resolutions for writers’ post every year, and it’s interesting to have a look over it and see how his goals have changed over time. Coupled with the festive spirit, I figured it’d be a good idea to do a writing resolutions post myself, largely based on what I’ve learned in my first year as a ‘proper’ writer, and my intentions for the next twelve months.
So, with no further ado, my New Year’s Resolutions for writers going in to 2013. These aren’t only my new year’s resolutions, but yours to adapt to your own goals and lifestyles too.
I will write, write, and keep on writing
This one is kind of self-explanatory. The first of my New Year’s resolutions for writers is to keep on writing, no matter what.
Dean Wesley Smith’s recent post on goals and dreams really put lots of writerly targets into perspective for me. In my own head, I kind of had a target of finishing a new book in 2013, with maybe a novella to accompany that. One book and one shorter release per year — a sound option, right?
Well, kind of, but think of things mathematically (I know, I hate maths too), and the target can be set even higher.
Inspired by Dean’s post, I figured out I can pen 1,000-1,500 first draft words in an ideal hour (let’s call it 1,000 for the sake of this exercise). In the space of a week, I’d say I have an hour free to write every day, and I will find that time no matter what I do. So, 7 x 1,000 = 7,000.
Still with me? Good.
7,000 new words per week x 50 weeks (Dean suggests taking two weeks off per year, and I’d concur with this) = 350,000 new words per year.
350,000 words! For an hour a day of writing. Even if you take weekends off, that’s still 250,000 fresh words of prose per year.
350,000 words is, what, four novels and a novella? 250,000 words is 3-or-so novels. A whole series, if you want. So, in line with this calculation, my #1 New Year’s Resolution for writers is to keep on writing fresh words. Personally, I’m aiming for a target of 350,000. I will write 350,000 words of prose in 2013. I will write for one hour every single day, with a two-week holiday at the end of the year. If I miss a day, I will take one day out of my end of year writing holiday. Discipline, people, discipline.
I will price my work at a respectable point and refrain from tinkering
I’ve spoken about pricing in the past, and think about it every day. Since launch, What We Saw has been $2.99, $3.99 and now $4.99.
What have I noticed from these different price points? Not a lot. UK seems to outsell the US by 2 to 1, which doesn’t surprise me considering it’s a very British novel. I’ve seen little difference in UK sales at £1.99-£2.99, and experienced a nice little post-Christmas boost.
From now on though, I’m keeping my standalone novels around $4.99/£2.99. Along with the paperbacks, every copy sold puts £2 in my pocket, which is a nice figure, and the lack of ‘traction’ standalone novels have without a series to support their weight is worthy of a more premium price-tag, I feel. Maybe I’ll be proven wrong, but I won’t tinker too much apart from the occasional offer here and there from this point onwards.
My thoughts on pricing for new writers going into 2013 are as follows:
Short stories: 99c
Novellas: $2.99
First novels in series: $3.99
Standalone novels/Sequels: $4.99
*bear in mind these prices will probably come into play as I release more books.
I will not obsess and will chill out more
Marketing. Writing. Self-publishing. KDP. Smashwords. ePub. Mobi. Price points. Beginnings. Ends. Free promos.
It’s easy to obsess over writing. I used to churn up inside if I didn’t have a good idea for a blog post on the day of writing. Sure, that probably helped me put out some good content on a very regular schedule in the early days, but obsessing does noone any good in the long run.
One of the key things I’ve learned in my ‘writerly retreat’ is to chill out some more. Nothing to tweet about on the day? Don’t tweet. No idea for a blog? Don’t bother. People don’t hate you for being human. In fact, they’ll probably respect you some more.
In 2013, I’m going to tweet when I want to tweet. If I see a useful blog post, I’ll share it, but if not, I’ll leave it.
In 2013, I’m going to blog when I want to blog. I’ll try to blog one or two times per week, but if I don’t manage to, I won’t stress out about it.
In 2013, I’m going to promote occasionally, but not lose sleep over the promotions. If I have an offer running, I’ll let it do its thing without fussing over scheduling or sales reports, instead putting my focus on new words.
In 2013, I’m going to make writing my priority. Everything else is a bonus.
Don’t take this as a break from blogging or a retirement or anything like that. A few months ago, I spoke about a new chapter in my life, and I guess this is the third chapter. The life of an author, with a few pieces of work out, focused on the next thing.
The truth is, I want to put two novels out there in 2013. I’ve got a first draft written in the last two months for the first one, which should hopefully launch around May (more on that in the coming weeks and months). I’ve mapped out a crime novel I really want to get started on, and I think I can get that out in 2013 too.
Writing new words (all 350,000 of them) may be my priority, but I tend to take 4-6 weeks to rewrite, so I’ll find time for that too. We’ll see what happens, but if I’m sat here this time next year with 350,000 words written, I’ll be a happy man.
Some other New Year’s Resolutions for writers to think about:
– I will finish this first draft
– I will write for an hour every day
– I will find the time to write every day, no matter what
– I will find out how many words I can write in an ideal hour, and write that amount every day
– I will set up my website and blog when I have something interesting to say
– I will connect with fellow authors and readers via Twitter and Facebook
– I will stop neglecting Google+ (okay, that’s just me)
– I will conquer the rewrite
– I will seek the help and advice of critical friends
– I will help others
…
Other resolutions, a little more personal and not writing related:
– Achieve good university grades
– Keep my friends close and my enemies non-existent
– Travel the world
– Remember how fucking good the good feels when things aren’t going quite so well
The list could go on. Feel free to add your own in the comments. Have a very happy New Year, and enjoy the celebrations. Here’s to 2013!
What are your New Year’s Resolutions for writers in 2013?
Image courtesy of Camera Slayer via Flickr.