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5 Steps to Succeed as an Indie Author
I recently spoke with my local library about being a speaker for their Indie Author Day event coming up in November, and it got me thinking about last year’s event. While I was excited for this event, two of the three speakers last year were traditionally published authors, and while I’m an advocate for both traditional and indie publishing, it was disappointing that these authors weren’t able to answer many of the questions those in the audience had about becoming an indie author. One of the big questions asked was “how can an indie author be successful?”
There’s No Wrong Way To Be A Writer
I recently wrote a post for Jane Friedman’s blog about adding meaningful words to lean manuscripts, and in that post, I shared that I struggled early on with the fact that I wrote lean when most of the advice I came across for revisions involved cutting words, not adding them. I became self-conscious of my short drafts and worried I was doing this whole writing thing wrong. After all, if I were a real writer, wouldn’t I have too many words to share, not too few?
Finding Time To Write As A Mom To Young Kids
I came across an Instagram post the other day from a fitness coach that said any fitness coach who tells a mom to young kids that “we all have the same 24 hours” should be disregarded immediately. And as a mom to a toddler, that resonated with me and made me feel seen. The idea that we all don’t have the same 24 hours has been running through my mind since reading that post. Prior to becoming a mom, I went to the gym 5 days a week, waking up before the sun to get to the gym before heading to the office. I loved my routine and gained energy and motivation from my early morning gym sessions. But since having my son, I’ve struggled to find a good routine and rhythm for my workouts.
3 Reasons You Want to Work with a Book Coach
I see a lot of posts in online writing groups asking about book coaches and wondering if they might benefit from working with one, and inevitably several other writers chime in to say that they don’t need to work with a book coach and doing so is a waste of resources. And while it’s absolutely true that no writer needs a book coach, it’s also true that working with one can be beneficial and helpful.
3 Reasons You Need to Celebrate Your First Draft
Writing a novel can be a long process that takes an incredible amount of energy, motivation, and time. It can sometimes feel like reaching the final “the end” will never get here, that we’ll be stuck in revision mode forever. Because of this, it can feel a little anticlimactic to celebrate reaching the end of a first draft. If we know anything about the writing process, we know there’s a mountain of work still ahead of us. But finishing a first draft is a huge accomplishment, and no matter what still awaits us, it’s so important to take a moment and celebrate.
How to Write a Novel With a Full-Time Job
According to a recent survey, 81% of those surveyed said they want to write a book someday. That’s a lot of people who dream of writing a book! But the reality is many of those who want to write a book never start, and even fewer ever finish a manuscript. That’s not because they’re lazy—most likely, it comes down to the realities of life. We need money to live, and writing a novel is not financially lucrative.
Why I Decided to Indie Publish My Novel
If you follow me on social media, you may have seen a little while back that I officially decided to become an indie author and am releasing my debut women’s fiction novel early next year! This was a huge decision for me, and one that took a long time to make. Even though I’d been considering this option for a while, it was one that came with a lot of practical and emotional considerations, and I wanted to be certain before taking the leap.
Just Because You Haven’t Yet, Doesn’t Mean You Can’t
Writers, it’s October 26th. Which means NaNoWriMo is just around the corner! This realization may have you completely pumped and enthused, or it may be striking some terror in your soul. Particularly if you’ve tried NaNo before and didn’t finish. So, this post is for any and all writers attempting NaNo, but it’s particularly for those of you who tried NaNo once and might be terrified to try again. And beyond NaNo, it’s for anyone who may have tried to write a story once or many times but didn’t finish.
5 Steps to Start Writing a Novel
Writing a book is a dream for many, a goal on their bucket list that, sadly, too many people never accomplish. It can feel like an overwhelming project, and many people don’t even try because they simply don’t know where or how to begin. So, here I’ve broken down 5 steps you can take to create a writing life and start working towards achieving your dream of writing a book.
If Not Now, When?
I hear from a lot of people who dream of someday writing a book that “now just isn’t the right time.” Work is demanding, their kids are young, their parents need to be cared for, their husband just had surgery…the lists go on and on. And I get it, some seasons of our lives are busier and more chaotic than others. But the problem with putting off chasing after your dreams until the timing feels right is that the timing likely won’t ever feel exactly right. There will always be something that could take our attention away from writing.
The Cost of Publishing a Book
One of the biggest questions I hear working with indie authors is “How much does it cost to publish a book?” The second biggest question? “Do I really need [insert production cost here].” I get it. It’s rare that an indie author is someone supported by a sizeable trust fund with no financial obligations. More often, said author is jumping into publishing their book as a side gig. It’s been their dream to be an author, to publish their story, and they just want to get it out there.
The Power of Realistic Goals
If you’re anything like me, you pack your to do list with a plethora of goals every month, week, and day. No minute is wasted on a daily basis. In fact, you cram more onto your list than you know you’ll be able to accomplish figuring if you happen to finish all the “must do” items, then at least you have a handful of other items to choose from. There’s no real use in figuring out what’s possible to actually complete on any given day when there’s an endless number of things you need to accomplish. Right?