“Now that you are published, do you find it easier to tell people you have to write when they want to visit or ask you to do something?” is our question for Day Four. To me this has everything to do with asserting yourself and letting others know you are “at work.” If you had a job outside your home, would these same people call you at your office?
I will say that it does take your loved ones and friends some time to realize that you are not doing this as a hobby. You seriously want to become a published author. They need to realize, as do we, that this is not going to happen overnight. Just because we don’t have a contract or an agent the day the first draft is complete, doesn’t mean it won’t happen someday.
My husband has been supportive of my efforts through this experience, but he didn’t really get enthused until I was offered the contract for Perfidy. Then it was real to him and he was more than anxious to brag about his wife, the published author. I did have a period of time when he interrupted me to chat while I was obviously busy at the computer. All I did was simply ask him to take a seat and I explained my need to concentrate and not be interrupted. He took it very well and leaves me alone when I am writing—especially if my office door is closed.
If anyone sabotages my work, it’s usually me. The biggest distractions I have now that Perfidy is published are the things I have to do to market myself. At this time, I am agentless (Is that a word?) and I am with a small publisher, so I have to do most of my own marketing. Just the time it takes to answer emails, update my website, and work with social media is tremendous. I am seeking the means to conquer this so I can spend more time on future endeavors, but it isn’t easy.
Here are some things you might look into which I am learning to use. I have worked with Facebook for a while. My youngest grandson convinced me to create a Facebook page two years ago and it has been a wonderful way to keep up with family. However, I just discovered the Fan Page. I’ve set it up, but now I have to figure out how to use it and the information it contains. I also recently started using Twitter. I’m still not too sure about that one. Fortunately, Susan Gibberman, Resource Librarian at the Schaumburg Library, turned me on to HootSuite.com. Of course, I need to learn how to use it now, but she says it will help me manage my other social media sites.
An organization that I have become a member of since I decided to become an author is the Illinois Small Business Development Center at McHenry County College. You can look at the national site www.sba.gov in order to find a college near you who has an office for this educational organization. They not only help you learn how to start your business, because once you sign that first contract you are a business, they have classes on such things as social media. McHenry County College also has a workshop called “Social Media Roundtable” where persons from all sorts of small business can get together and discuss social media and how to use it to the best advantage.
It is difficult to keep the distractions at a minimum, especially after your book is released. That is why I started looking into marketing before the release. I also wrote as much as I could, because I knew once Perfidy was released, my time would be at a premium. Tomorrow, I will discuss the question “When do you think a writer should start working on his/her platform and marketing plan?”
Until next time.
I will say that it does take your loved ones and friends some time to realize that you are not doing this as a hobby. You seriously want to become a published author. They need to realize, as do we, that this is not going to happen overnight. Just because we don’t have a contract or an agent the day the first draft is complete, doesn’t mean it won’t happen someday.
My husband has been supportive of my efforts through this experience, but he didn’t really get enthused until I was offered the contract for Perfidy. Then it was real to him and he was more than anxious to brag about his wife, the published author. I did have a period of time when he interrupted me to chat while I was obviously busy at the computer. All I did was simply ask him to take a seat and I explained my need to concentrate and not be interrupted. He took it very well and leaves me alone when I am writing—especially if my office door is closed.
If anyone sabotages my work, it’s usually me. The biggest distractions I have now that Perfidy is published are the things I have to do to market myself. At this time, I am agentless (Is that a word?) and I am with a small publisher, so I have to do most of my own marketing. Just the time it takes to answer emails, update my website, and work with social media is tremendous. I am seeking the means to conquer this so I can spend more time on future endeavors, but it isn’t easy.
Here are some things you might look into which I am learning to use. I have worked with Facebook for a while. My youngest grandson convinced me to create a Facebook page two years ago and it has been a wonderful way to keep up with family. However, I just discovered the Fan Page. I’ve set it up, but now I have to figure out how to use it and the information it contains. I also recently started using Twitter. I’m still not too sure about that one. Fortunately, Susan Gibberman, Resource Librarian at the Schaumburg Library, turned me on to HootSuite.com. Of course, I need to learn how to use it now, but she says it will help me manage my other social media sites.
An organization that I have become a member of since I decided to become an author is the Illinois Small Business Development Center at McHenry County College. You can look at the national site www.sba.gov in order to find a college near you who has an office for this educational organization. They not only help you learn how to start your business, because once you sign that first contract you are a business, they have classes on such things as social media. McHenry County College also has a workshop called “Social Media Roundtable” where persons from all sorts of small business can get together and discuss social media and how to use it to the best advantage.
It is difficult to keep the distractions at a minimum, especially after your book is released. That is why I started looking into marketing before the release. I also wrote as much as I could, because I knew once Perfidy was released, my time would be at a premium. Tomorrow, I will discuss the question “When do you think a writer should start working on his/her platform and marketing plan?”
Until next time.
