Finding Time

So, a bit of a thorny issue this one, and one that I argue a lot about with myself!  How do you find the time to write when you're working full time at another job?  Easy answer; give up the day job!  However, back in the real world, when you're single and supporting yourself giving up the only source of income that is keeping a roof over your head and the wolf from the door is not exactly the wisest of choices!  As John Lennon said "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

A few years back I remember reading an interview with an author who suggested that you should set yourself a word target to achieve every day.  He said that you should stick to this target even if what you are righting is complete rubbish that you will probably delete the next day!  He said it was all about discipline.  This always disturbed me because to my mind discipline and creativity just don't go together at all.  Also, when time is so precious why waste it writing something you know you're not happy with? I think I would probably become a little disgruntled after a while.

 I was therefore somewhat heartened by an article I read more recently on Goodreads by another author who also sets himself a word target, but for him the target is one word a day!  He said this relieved the pressure of deadlines and made him feel really good about the times he would exceed his daily word count by sometimes as much as six thousand times!

This is the way I have decided to go. So now when I'm sitting in the evening with my laptop after a day at work and I'm reaching for the matchsticks to prop open my eyes after just 250 words, I don't feel so bad!  At least I've exceeded my target!  I always have a vague idea of when I would like to complete a project when I start it - and I usually tend to end up way off with my estimations! - but that is just another benefit of self-publishing; you can work at your own pace and not have to work to other people's targets or timetables.  As much as I would love to be able to devote more time to writing I am enjoying the freedom that self-publishing is giving me and still, so far have no regrets!

Kim

You Can Now Follow Me On Bloglovin'

Make sure you are following for all the latest updates.

Kim


<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12871193/?claim=af5ttx8676e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Being Pro-active

In my previous post I mentioned how easy it was to get started with self-publishing using Amazon, but once the book is out there that's when the hard work really starts.  When you haven't got a nice big publishing house behind you or a literary agent, managing promotion is all down to you!  Now I'm new to all this so I'm no expert but I thought I'd share some of the things I've done so far.  The teams at Createspace and Kindle Direct Publishing are great sources of information and advice on how to promote your work and what deals are available to assist in this.  There are also great forums where you can talk to other authors and learn from their experiences.

Shortly after my book was published I was introduced to a website called Goodreads.  This is a great little site for all lovers of books, both authors and readers and again offers the chance to talk to other like-minded souls and get their feedback.  If you love books I recommend you take a look.

Social media - Facebook and Twitter - are also a great way of promoting your work and I have pestered my friends relentlessly with updates!

Personally my biggest problem is that my target audience is so young (aged between about 10-14) so a lot of the above are not going to really reach them.  The other problem is I love to write!  As soon as one project is finished I immediately start thinking about the next, which is probably why it has taken me so long to get this far!  I am determined to be more pro-active though and with that in mind would appreciate any suggestions you may have as well to keep me on this road!

Kim

Getting Started

I have been meaning to set up this blog ever since my first book, The Gatekeeper was published in April this year.  As this is my first published work I thought it would be interesting to record my journey with all its ups and downs, perils and pitfalls along the way.

I have gone down the self-publishing route with Amazon as I had heard from several different sources just how easy this is and I have to say that so far I have been very impressed.  However being the complete techno-virgin that I am I couldn't have done it without some help! My daughter guided me through the whole process with some exasperation and 'head-in-hands' moments over my lack of technical skills - ("so how do you cut and paste?") - but finally I got there! And look at me now I'm even blogging!  (Yes, she set this up for me too!)

The Gatekeeper is the first volume in a trilogy; The Chronicles of Prudence the Foundling Fairy which you can purchase from Amazon HERE. Volume two; Arthur's Sword is my current 'work in progress' along with two other stories aimed at an older reader, 'The Legacy of Vengeance' and 'What it Takes' both are ghost stories.

I hope you will join me on my journey.  Let me know your thoughts on self-publishing, is it a useful tool for budding authors or just a way to flood the market?

Kim