Tuesday, August 28, 2018

When Writers Can’t Find Time To Write Or Market Their Book





I always want to write.

That’s how most writers feel – they get jittery when they’re not engaged in what feels so natural, pure, and rewarding to them. Writes know they have to tend to things like a job, family, chores, bill-paying, hitting the gym, shopping, cleaning, walking the dog, caring for a parent, fixing a car, preparing dinner and so on but they just want to shun all of that and zero in on their true love:  writing.

But, one thing they must do with equal attention and energy is market their book and author brand.  So how does the modern-day writer-marketer get it all done?

The truth is, today’s writer can’t do it all.  He or she needs to set priorities, make sacrifices, hire help, and determine what he likes to do most – and what he does best – and identify what really needs to get done.

Today’s writer has to manage a lot.  

He writes, researches, and edits.  He ponders, even dreams, and reflects. While he does this he has to figure out how he’ll get published, develop a good marketing strategy, keep up with posting on social media, and of course, tend to a busy life of obligations, needs, and desires that extend way beyond books.

Does a writer need a career coach?  A professional organizer?  Maybe a therapist?  

Perhaps all that’s needed are some self-help books, motivational videos, and free tools online to get his head right and his life in order.

Writers sink into a pattern. They have an idea – probably several competing ones at any given moment – and they struggle to make the time to really pursue what’s needed or to pursue writing about any or all of these ideas.  Once they make the time to write, they have performance anxiety – or they let it flow and they realize they want and need more time that they don’t have.  To make room for more writing, other aspects of life suffer or get placed on the back burner.

It becomes a cycle that most writers can’t seem to break free of, alternating their time, resources and mindshare to write and then doing everything else in a half-hearted, often sub-par manner.

Being a writer is like dating three people at once – it sounds great, but, it gets complicated – and it’s hard to keep up.  So what is the writer to do?

Your options include:
·         Not writing, but that is detrimental to the writer
·         Writing and ignoring all else, but that’s detrimental to his life
·         Trying to balance writing and life, but one could end up settling for mediocrity
·         Hiring others to help, from a maid to a dog walker to a book marketer
·         Getting a lucky break that allows one to write and live at a high level

Writers don’t have easy answers.  They are, by nature and circumstance, to live a life that tugs them in multiple directions.  But at some point, the true writer awakens and out pours their best work.  At that point they’ll do things differently and look to do all that they can to make the book a success.

The may fall short, even fail miserably, but that’s okay.  Writers wouldn’t expect anything else.


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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America and participated in a PR panel at the Sarah Lawrence College Writers Institute Conference.

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