We’ve reached Sunday yet again, readers, which means another RoW80 update, slightly different, because this is one of those rare Sundays I have to go into the part-time job. I don’t really mind so much, because we actually get “premium” pay (if you count $1 more an hour premium) on Sundays. I also worked yesterday and Monday, and so I’m pretty sure that means I get holiday pay on Monday, so, yeah, no big complaints here, only that every hour at the part time job means one less hour in front of my computer writing. LE SIGH. There’s also the moving, which is going…badly. I just have so much stuff! Thankfully, the landlord at the old apartment is a family friend, so he might be lenient about me needing until Wednesday to get completely moved out. Overall, though, it’s been a pretty good week for me, though, as I continue to settle into the new apartment (I take a long time to fully settle) and focus back in on my writing.
Here’s what I’ve got so far:
Goal One: Promotion. The conversation the other day regarding what inspires you to give a book a try really highlighted the key essential part of promotion for me: networking. Of course, that’s the one part that I don’t think I’m that good at, but it’s something I’m definitely getting better at. Ever since I quit my full time job, I can dedicate more time to helping other authors, because authors who help other authors help themselves. Now that I’m finally moved (for the most part), I can hone in on some of that networking, talking with other authors, getting to know them, reaching out to readers, and maybe even doing some discounts and giveaways soon. Some of the same mistakes I made when I first published Bowlful of Bunnies were improved on with Soulless, but a lot of mistakes were still made and there’s a lot to improve on.
The biggest thing I’m learning about promotion so far is that it really is a long game. You can’t pop your book up on a bunch of lists and expect magic to happen. You have to do that, but you also have to get out there and schmooze a little, get to know people and get them interested. Sometimes, that can be exhausting, sometimes I’m too scatter-brained to be any good at it, but, like I said, I definitely think I’m getting better. Slow and steady wins the race.
Goal Two: Short Stories. Reading through “Shadow Wolves,” as I do when I receive a rejection before I brush it up and send it elsewhere, I realize what a great story it is. This did get to the second round of consideration, so I think that just really shows what a marvelous pool of talent there is out there and that this is definitely a story that I need to keep shipping out. Today is the deadline for the Gothic Blue Book, so I hope I can really focus on typing up the story I scribbled down for it, but I don’t imagine that will happen. I work later, so I doubt I’ll have the energy to cram out a story when I want to just veg in front of the TV for a little bit. It was also terribly slow on Thursday for my grueling eight hour shift (did I quit working my last job because of eight hour shifts??), so I sneakily wrote practically an entire story. It’s contemporary fiction, which I’m stoked about, because, while they’re usually not my strongest stories, they’re the ones accepted by most places. No need to search out a niche genre market. So I hope to type that up and get it sent off, probably to American Short Fiction.
Goal Three: Madeline. …mmm, let’s not talk about Madeline right now. Hahaha. My focus has definitely been elsewhere.
So, that’s it for me. A lot of squeezing in writing whenever I can, which hasn’t been much, but soon, I’ll be able to focus and I’ll be really grateful for all the little things I’m doing now to make it easier and more productive for me then. How’s everyone else doing? Did you get a chance to check everyone else out here yet? You should~!
Happy writing!
L.S. Engler 
Sounds like you are making some gains and learning as you go. It’s good to take the perspective that you can learn from rejections, instead of letting rejections bum you out. And it doesn’t always matter where your focus is, just so you have a focus somewhere!
Thanks, Chris. Yeah, my focus can get a little blurry sometimes, but it’s still there. I’ve never had 20/20 vision, anyway. 🙂
You said, “Ever since I quit my full time job, I can dedicate more time to helping other authors, because authors who help other authors help themselves.”
I feel the same way. I left my day job last year to write full time, and I try to use some of that time to help other authors, whether visiting their blogs, reading their books, or simply getting to know them through Twitter or other social media. It’s great to be part of what is really a thriving online community of writers who support and encourage each other. And ROW80 is just one great example of that.
Have a great week!