The Trials Of An Indie Author: Juggling Deadlines

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: JUGGLING DEADLINES

This is something that, when I brainstormed this idea, I didn't realise would take on a whole different meaning for me when it came time to write it. Funny how life can hit you that way! Originally, I planned for this to be written while I was in the midst of starting dev edits, while also juggling other revisions (of which there were about four projects!), and I thought that it would be good to give that perspective to both other indie authors, and just writers in general, because even if you're trad pub, you will have deadlines to meet while also having to make sure that the writing work gets done for the next project or whatnot.

At the time of writing, I have only been back at work for a month after eight months of recovery. I'm still trying to find a way that works for me routine wise, but even with the changes that have come in my author life, I do have something to add to this kind of discussion. At the end of the day, you know you, and how you work, best, so if these don't apply to you, that's okay! I am one voice, and we all do a lot of a little of this advice and a splash of another to find a way that works for us, and I kinda like that!

So lemme give you some of the things that have helped me!

#1 USE SOFT DEADLINES
If you are someone who needs breathing room when it comes to deadlines or the like, using a soft deadline can actually help. This is basically setting the deadline where if you fail to meet it for whatever reason, you have a bit of time to catch up. I've done that with books, where I've told myself, I have to be done with revisions by a certain date, when actually that date is like two-four weeks before the hard deadline. It just gives me a little extra time if I need it. I don't actually always need it, but I like having it there, it especially helps when chronically ill because some days all the good intentions in the world are not going to allow me to work. So this is one I've found really helps.

#2 ORGANISE IMPORTANCE
Obviously, there are going to be projects that have a higher priority. Like a book due to enter the editing cycle, and missing it would mean causing a chain of events that will hurt you in the long run. Other projects might have deadlines too, but they might be ones that can be pushed back slightly without causing issues. Once I came back to work, I knew I wasn't going to be able to pick up where I left off, with the workload I had before. Instead, I narrowed down the projects that needed to be worked on sooner because of things liked editing and such. It does mean that, for now, I am working a very small load, but I gotta look after me, and take care of myself as well.

#3 ALLOW FOR BREAKS
I know, if you've watched my AuthorTube videos, that I have always been a big advocate for rests, for telling people that you don't have to earn them, and while it might be repetitive for me to say it here, it's also true. When you're juggling multiple things work wise, you will need to have some time off in there. You will never do your best work sleep deprived, exhausted, and drained. You will make mistakes which will make things harder for you in the long run, and you will end up burned out, no one wants that. So along the way, make sure you remember to take it easy, to have breaks, and to be kind to yourself.

So there we go, I wish you all the luck! Deadlines can be a beast, but they should not be something that causes long-term harm. Breathe, take a break, and come back to it, you've got this! 

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The Trials Of An Indie Author: Writing For You

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: WRITING FOR YOU

I've heard the phrase that you should write the book you want to read, and I agree with it, mostly. I've been writing since I was 19, and at 44, I am still finding books to write that I wanted or needed when I was a teenager and trying to find my way in the world. Of course everyone writes for different reasons and a lot of the time, it can be both personal and also just because you know there's a market for that kind of story.

Having said that, as a chronically ill and disabled woman, I found that a lot of the stories that I wanted to tell were ones that, at the start of my career, I couldn't see myself managing to pull off. It was really only once I got older, and started to realise that I could manage to do this that I delved head first into writing disabled characters, telling stories of fantasy and dystopian and even just plain old contemporary and mystery. I wanted to put those characters out into the world and I wanted readers who had been like me as a teen to find themselves in my fiction. 

Every writer has different ideas of the stories they should tell. Every writer will write the same story differently, and because of that when it comes to working out what stories you want to tell, you have to kind of look deep, and also really think about it. There will be times when you lean more one way than the other, as in, if you're a writer like me who switches genres, you'll do heavy on one before moving and changing to another. If you're always in the same genre, the style of stories might change, the sub-genre might switch. All of that is normal, and it's just about finding that sweet spot, that place where you've found your genre for the moment, and leaning into it and writing all the stories you want.

For example, when I first really worked on a story that I wanted to publish, it was a YA thriller that I'd been brewing in my head for a time. It became my focus and my drive, but the next story I really got lost in after that was paranormal/mystery. I think the reason that I switch genres, while sticking to a myriad of them, is because as a reader, I will read pretty much anything. There are a few genres that generally don't appeal to me, but usually if I like the blurb, then I'll pick it up and give it a go. Sometimes I fall in love with a new genre, and sometimes I don't jive with it. But it's reflected in my writing because I know that there are other people like me out there, teens and older, who also jump around genres and just want to read good stories.

So when it comes to writing for myself, or even my younger self, I'm writing crime, I'm writing dystopian, I'm giving urban fantasy a go, I've got the paranormal in there too. It's all about me both exploring things as a writer, but also allowing that imagination that got me in loads of trouble as a teen, to grow and bloom and become something bigger, become stories that other people can read, fall in love with, and maybe one day move on to writing their own. 

Some writers will focused on one genre because that, for them, is the stories they want to read, and it's a good thing for them to explore those same kinds of stories that maybe they also adore, and want to pass onto the next generation. After all, even when we, as authors, are no longer here, our books can still remain, our stories can still be here to show the kind of writers we were and our legacy of stories. I think that's a really cool thing, especially as someone who has a future that is limited.

So no matter what genres or stories appeal to you, write for yourself yes, but also remember that these stories have a greater reach than we ever could. I always leave part of myself in my work and I know a lot of writers and authors who do the same. Writing for yourself is powerful, and so is making sure those stories, the ones you needed to tell, have outlasted you. Who knows where that may lead in the future?

Whatever genre, whatever stories, keep writing, because the world needs your stories. 

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments! 

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The Trials Of An Indie Author: When You're Not Drafting

THE TRIALS OF AN INIDE AUTHOR: WHEN YOU'RE NOT DRAFTING

In the past year or so, I've stopped drafting as a main project. I've now drafted 48 books, and while I do plan to go back to doing that, and currently have two ideas burning a hole in my mind, I've switched to doing revisions on older projects because I feel like my time is better spent doing that. I have a lot of books in my backlog. At the moment my twenty-fourth book is due to come out in October (pre-order here) so I have the same in books that need a lot of revising and editing to get to the point where they could be published.

I think a lot of the time, writers who work on one project at a time, will do it all in a row. They'll draft it, then maybe take a break, and then revise and go onto edits. My issue was, I draft fast, I work on at least two drafting projects, I also had a lot of time between writing my first book to my debut, and then from my debut to my second book coming out, and I kept writing. Due to that, I got myself a very big backlog. To give you some idea of the time frame, I am 43, and wrote my 40th draft in the year I turned 40, and I've not been drafting for a good year.

I know sometimes the pressure is on to keep writing, to keep churning out stories, and had I not gotten to the point of being able to stop at the end of both the series I was writing, I may have kept writing new drafts. There's nothing wrong with doing it that way, not at all, but I did know I was getting to the point where I would bring myself more anxiety and stress because a lot of those first drafts needed extensive work, and outside input that I wouldn't have time for if I left them until I would normally come to revise. So I took a step back from drafting, and I focused on revision.

Right now I have four revision projects, one is a main one, as in about to go to the dev editor in November. Two are ones that I'm just focusing on but have no real deadline for, and one is one that will go to the editor in April 2026. It's a lot to balance, especially with line and proof edits for that pre-order book also needing to be done. But it's something I know I thrive at, and it works for me.

But what if you're someone who can't do multiple projects? My advice would be to focus on whatever stage you're at, and maybe take some time from drafting something, to focusing on the revisions that need to be done. The push is always on for us authors to be constantly writing and releasing, and while a lot of readers have some kind of what goes on behind the scenes, others just don't. They think that because x author can release at x speed, that everyone else should do as well, and it does not work like that.

While I do have two projects that are itching to be written, I also plan to draft them, and then jump into more revisions. It was nerve-wracking when I first started doing revisions mainly, because I didn't have a clue how it was going to work, but once I got into a routine, it became easier, and allowed me to get future projects into a better position, and from that, allowed them to be ready for sensitivity readers or the like long before I have to worry about them going to the dev editor. 

If it works for you, don't worry about it. The author life is not just drafting and releasing, there are so many steps in between, and you can only do what works for you.

Good luck!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments! 

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The Trials Of An Indie Author: Finding A Way That Works

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: FINDING A WAY THAT WORKS

A big thing about being an indie author, is that pretty much everything to do with the publishing process is in your hands. You have to write the book, revise the book, pay for the editors, do the edits, pay for the cover designer, do the promo and formatting, or pay for someone to do both. All of it is in your hands, and that can be exceptionally overwhelming, especially if you're also on a budget or just haven't done anything like this before.

While I do not regret taking the path I did when it came to publishing, I do realise that comes from a position of privilege. I was first published in 2005, so almost 20 years ago. I also got into KDP and the like early on when they were first out there. I made mistakes, I made a whole lot of them, but I am still here. I am still publishing. I've worked with a number of different editors, but have had the same cover designer all the way through, so I've been lucky to have that continuity there.

But I'm also aware that I could not have made it as a trad pub author. Not because there's anything bad about trad pub, you pick the path that works for you, and both are very much valid. I just mean that with the way my health has gone, and the way my writing journey has been, I don't see how I could be sat here with 23 books of varying genres out, if I'd queried and gotten an agent. The trad pub path is very much valid, but it's just not for me. I know a lot of other writers feel the same way, and that's okay. Neither one is better or worse than the other, they both have their pitfalls, and their gains.

That said, going into indie is about finding a way that you can do all the things you need to, and still pay your own bills, still bring about a story and release that will hopefully work for you. Too much of the time I see advice on doing it all on your own, or the opposite of paying through the nose otherwise you will fail, and I'd just like to say that there is some middle ground there. You can find a way that works for you without breaking the bank.

Firstly it's about deciding what things you can do yourself. Like you can write, and revise yourself, but I wouldn't skip an editor of some kind. If you're in a position of only being able to pay for one, go with the dev because I feel like way too many authors stick to line or copy and do not realise that they are missing a chunk of story and plot issues because that's not what those editors do. Now you might be lucky and be able to use beta readers only, or combine them with a copy editor who's willing to give some feedback on the story as well, but do not go into that relationship expecting or demanding it. Make sure you communicate with them, and make sure they are comfortable doing that, and if they're not, respect that.

Now I have zero design skills. I do not have the first clue about that stuff, I can write a brief for a concept for a cover, but I could not design the cover myself. There are some authors who can, and that's great for them, but if that's something you can't do, then go for saving your pennies for this as well. A cover can make or break a book, and it's about making sure you put your best foot forward there.

At the end of the day, you can choose where, and how, you spend your money, but if you want to be able to make some kind of living as a writer and author, then you need to put in the work, and some of that is monetary work. There are people who are willing to barter with you for prices, and there are others who will do payment plans, but at the end of the day, these professionals also deserve to get paid, just as you should, so work out what you can afford, what you can skip, and don't just attach a huge money amount because someone on the internet spent the same so you have to too. It's about finding a way that works for you, and that's okay.

Good luck! Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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The Trials Of An Indie Author: Balancing Your Work Load

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: BALANCING YOUR WORK LOAD

I know that I'm seen as someone who manages a heavy work load, is super productive and also super organised, and while it's true that I do have about five different projects on the go right now, I wasn't always like that. I didn't just wake up one morning and have the ability to manage a whole heap at once. It's not something that every writer can do, and that doesn't mean that there's a personal failing on their part for not being able to do so.

However, there's a lot to be said for being able to know how much you can handle, and balancing it alongside other jobs as well. Every month, right now at least, I'm revising on most days, editing on most days, and also have these admin days that allow me to get the next month's vlog scripts and blog posts written, as well as recording days for the coming month's videos. I say that and I know that a lot of people reading will be wondering how I pull it all off.

Like I said, it wasn't instantaneous, it was something I worked hard at managing and even then there are times when I just need to slow down, back off the work and focus on resting and keeping my health managed. I am chronically ill and disabled, and because of that there are going to be times, a lot of them, where I just overextend myself and need to take it easy. The point I'm trying to make here is that no one, no matter how productive they may seem, can manage to work 24/7 endlessly. It's just not doable, and it leads to crashes or burnout, or other scary things like that.

But what if you're someone who wants to try and see about getting a bit more balance to the work load in front of them? I'm going to give you some of my tips to manage that, but above all else, remember that breaks are not optional. I don't care how many deadlines you have, or how much time you've needed to take off work because of this crisis or that one, you need to have breaks, otherwise all the will in the world will not make a sustainable practice, and at the end of the day, the reason it works for me is because I've made it sustainable for me. That doesn't mean doing everything I do will be the same for you, we're all different, and that's okay and normal.

So onto the tips!

#1 DON'T START WITH EVERYTHING
I've said things along these lines before. I see too many times where people are trying to balance extra work and they just keep piling it on, either straight away, or way too fast for them to know that what they're doing is going to work for them. So don't do that. Don't add five projects instantly. My advice would be one other thing, and even then, be prepared for some trial and error, some days where things do not go well, and some weeks when it feels like you're gonna have to throw in the towel.

The point, as I've said, is for this to be sustainable, and it just won't be if you don't take it slow, work out how to work with the projects on your plate already, and then, after a time of managing it well, then you add something else small to the pile. This is, in my experience, the only way for it to work long term. Otherwise you crash and burn, and that's never fun.

#2 TRACK IF YOU CAN
I started doing this a number of years ago and I found that it really helped for me to have solid data to work out how much a certain task took me. It allowed me to see that writing blog posts for the month, depending on the amount, could take anywhere from 45 mins to 90 mins, and it really helped me see that they needed to be done on a day when nothing else major was expected of me. Vlog scripts usually take a shorter amount of time, so they can be doubled up with something. It was, for me, about having that data to work with.

Now I know it might not be possible for everyone, so if this is something you just can't do because you're stealing minutes here and there, that's fine, it's not for everyone, but it really did just allow me to have some idea of where my time was spent and whether or not, with the limited window of time I have to work, I could slot in another project. It might be the same for you, it might not, but it's always good to try these things and find out.

#3 LEAVE ROOM TO BREATHE, AND TO CATCH UP
I do not mean the rest days should also be catch up days because if you don't get the work done, then you're losing valuable down time. I do mean that when you have your schedule all worked out, you have a number of days to catch up, and a number of days to rest. This gives you a chance to really settle in and know that if everything goes wrong, it's not the end of the world. It's also a good thing to be okay with not hitting your goal for that week/month etc. I've done it. I've had times when I've just not managed to do the things I wanted to get done, and that's okay, because your health and wellbeing is so much more important.

So have some room to breathe, to rest, and also have a couple of days here and there where if you need a little more time, you have it, and if you don't need it, more downtime, and that's not a bad thing!

So there we go, if you have any questions, lemme know in the comments, and happy writing!

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The Trials Of An Indie Author: Working With Multiple Deadlines

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: WORKING WITH MULTIPLE DEADLINES

As an indie author, I can tell you that one of the things that really changed the landscape for me, was learning how to manage working with all the different deadlines. I'm sure this applies to trad pub too, but since I've only ever been indie, I can only speak of that. I know not everyone is able to manage to work on multiple projects, and might, therefore, not be able to manage having multiple deadlines, but for those of us who can and do, I thought that I would give you some insight into how I make it all work for me.

I will have been published for twenty years in August. At the moment I am revising four projects and editing one, just to give you some idea of the deadlines on my plate. Of those five projects, two have set deadlines coming up, one has a deadline in the middle of the year, and the remaining two are a long way off deadline wise, so I don't need to worry about them so much.

It sounds like a whole lot, and it is, and while my ability to plan and dedicate certain days to each have saved me when it comes to working and juggling those deadlines, it doesn't always stop the anxiety and stress that come with this life. I'm constantly worried that I might drop the ball with one of the more upcoming deadlines, and even the ones further off can sometimes feel like they're bearing down on me. I don't say that to be told that maybe I should drop a project here or there and only focus on the ones with more urgent deadlines, I am happy with the way I work, and it's the way I work, so I know that dropping one or two would just add to my stress levels.

My point is simply that there are ways to work, and you personally will know yourself best, and you gotta do what works for you. Just as I know that dropping this or that will impede my ability to function, you might know that there is no way you could ever work on more than one, or maybe two, projects, and both ways of working are valid and should be respected.

So how do you manage? I'm going to give you some of my tips!

#1 PLANNING MIGHT HELP
I say might because I know that for some people, planning isn't possible. It's not the way their brain works, and to do so would just make them even more stressed, and who wants to add to stress? I will say that I have found planning to be a perfect way for me to quiet the anxiety constantly in the back of my mind. It allows me to know when and what I'll be working on, it allows me to think ahead and tick things off, which gives me a nice serotonin boost. It gives me the chance to see, at a glance, just what I need to get done for the remainder of the week/month, and it's just a way for me to stay organised. If it works for you, embrace it, if not, then I hope you're able to find something that does help.

#2 PRIORITISE IF POSSIBLE
This one might seem obvious. After all, if you're planning, isn't it built into that? I mean yes, it can be, but for those who can't plan, this might be an option for them. If you have a project that's due sooner, make that your main focus, put as much time into that as possible, and use the other projects as a buffer should you need that as well. By this I mean, one of the reasons I work on multiple projects, beyond deadlines, is because I find it hard to focus on just one at all times, my brain loses interest and I miss things. Hence my juggling act. So if this is you, then make sure that you put the more important one, or ones, above the others, and get the majority of your work done on them.

#3 BREAKS AREN'T OPTIONAL
While it might seem silly to add in breaks here, especially with those deadlines looming, they need to be part of your working life. Yes people can push themselves through, but if you're constantly doing that, you will end up burned out, or worse, and will find that you can't do anything, and what's going to happen to all those deadlines then? So even if you think that you can't possibly spare time, try and slip them in there somewhere, because you do need them, and they will help you in the end.

So there we go, those are my three tips when it comes to working with multiple deadlines. I need to get back to editing, and from there, into my downtime for the day. I hope you're able to find a way that works for you, and good luck!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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The Trials Of An Indie Author: Pivoting Works

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: PIVOTING WORKS

I've been an indie author for a very long time at this point, and I've learned and experienced a lot over my years. I've made mistakes, but I think all authors, somewhere along the way, will make those, and it's just a case of learning from them, moving on, and sometimes pivoting to make sure that you don't make them again. I was first published in 2005, and while I've grown since then, sometimes you forget that you can still fall into those same traps and bad habits.

One thing that it is easy to get caught up in, is the fact that as an indie author, you're pretty much the one who has to make all those decisions. You have to hire the editors, the cover designers, do all the promotion and release stuff. While yes you can hire PR companies and the like, not everyone starting out, or even later down the line, has that kind of money to do so. It's great if you do, but for a lot of indie authors, it's just not possible.

While I've talked before about all the hats an indie author wears (found here), I thought that today I would talk about how sometimes you can make a good thing out of a bad thing, even if it doesn't feel like that at the time. I made the mistake of not looking into doing audiobooks when I first started. It felt like something that was always going to be out of my reach, but when I finally, last year, decided to give it a go, it opened up a whole new world of readers, and it's something that I plan to continue doing going forward, as much as I'm able to at least.

A lot of the time as an indie author, you can feel like you have all this pressure on you, and you don't know how to get it all done. It's something I've felt a lot, especially when it comes to releases, and that's when I've found it better to focus on the things I can do rather than the things I can't. Like I'm never going to be able to write, edit, and publish in a matter of months, but I can make sure that I have a steady release schedule. Yes I have a lot of books drafted that need to be revised, and the thought of writing more made me feel way too anxious because how was I going to find the time to really revise the ones that needed a lot of work, and maybe even sensitivity reader input? That's when I kinda pivoted and decided to take a break from drafting and focus on getting some of my projects in better shape.

I'm someone who has always been exceptionally organised. It's something I've done from a very young age and it's something that helps me stay on track and allows me to stay productive even when my body is saying it needs time to rest, because I prep so many things in advance, it allows me to take those times off and still manage to stay on top of work. It's not something that works for everyone, and my way may not work for you, but it's a good idea to give it a go, especially if the indie life is already overwhelming you, because man, I feel that on a deep level.

But when it comes to pivoting, to changing direction, to taking the bad issues and making them good, it really is a good idea to have some kind of plan in place. Like I knew that I wanted to take at least a year off drafting. I knew that if I didn't set a deadline for when the current revision/rewriting projects were done, then I would spend forever going back and forth with them. I know that I work well with those kinds of deadlines because I have them when it comes to getting my books to the dev editor and the like. So I made sure I had a good chunk of time to work on things, and then set a finish date. I will be doing the same with two more projects after this, but again, there's another deadline there, after which I hope to maybe be in a place where I can draft again.

I tell you all this because I feel like a lot of the time, the focus is on churning out book after book after book, and if you are someone who can write, edit, publish in a short space of time, hats off to you. I am not. I know it would just stress me out, and I would lose my focus, so I do it my way, and that's fine. But if you're finding that the way you're doing this right now isn't working for you, then pivot. You might surprise yourself!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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The Trials Of An Indie Author: Flexible Planning

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: FLEXIBLE PLANNING

One misconception about being indie is that because you're in charge of your own deadlines, you don't have any. Like you can just not do something by a certain time because it's always something you can move and change. Anyone who's been doing the indie life for a while will tell you that yes, they aren't always hard deadlines, but they're not always moveable or ignorable either.

I learned very early on in my writing and author career that I needed some kind of flexibility when it come to writing and deadlines. I still do, even all these years later. That said, it doesn't mean that I don't have deadlines to adhere to, or that those working with me don't also have deadlines they have to meet. A lot of the time when it comes to hiring professionals, whether that's as an editor or an audiobook narrator, you have to have a deadline for the contract to work.

While I'm not all that strict when it comes to some deadlines, for myself or others, I sometimes have to be and I do not like it. The perks of being an indie author are many, but one of them is being able to choose who I work with and what that deadline will be. But what some people don't realise is it all has a knock on effect. Part of being flexible in your planning and your work is knowing that there has to come a time when you have to set a hard deadline and everyone, yourself included, have to meet it.

Too many times I've seen authors working towards release and getting to the point where they need to really put their butt in gear, but just think they can keep moving that final date and will be done when its done. Now I'm not someone who thinks people should push themselves to breaking point, and I also understand that there ae a myriad of things that will stop people from meeting that first, second, whatever deadline, but eventually you do have to get to a point where you're tough with yourself and the people around you. It's not ideal, no, but it does allow you to know that you will be able to keep on track and meet that final deadline.

Of course I say that and know that not everyone has the luxury, and it is very much one, of being a full time writer. They don't have the time to schedule everything. They have other commitments. They have chronic illnesses and/or disabilities that inhibit what they're able to do. That is all valid, and I again, do not think that you should burn yourself out, or push yourself to breaking point, because of a deadline, but I do think there should be some leeway with your planning.

For instance, I know that I work best first thing in the morning. I also know that I'm not really able to work for longer than four hours. I know that if I need to get a lot of things done, then I need to parcel it all out into chunks that are doable in those four hours. I don't set myself up to fail, and while it has taken me over 20 years to get to the point where I am now, I did so by starting small.

The last thing I want to do is come across like I'm judging people, because I'm very much not. It takes as long as it takes, and that's okay, and I do genuinely mean that, but sometimes you have to weigh up what you're trying to do, and whether or not you're able to do it, and be honest with yourself about it. Everyone works differently, and that's valid, and you gotta do what works for you. Just be aware that when you're working, you gotta make sure that it is actually a way that works for you. No one wants you to burn out, no one wants you to fail, and if you're pushing yourself to breaking point to meet those deadlines, maybe take that knowledge and use it to help yourself later.

Your mileage may, of course, vary. Any questions? Lemme know in the comments.

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The Trials Of An Indie Author: Making Sure You're On Target

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: MAKING SURE YOU'RE ON TARGET

One thing that a lot of people might not realise when it comes to being indie, is just how much of the onus is on you to get things done. I'm talking everything from writing the book, to getting editors, and doing edits, to finding the perfect cover designer and getting that done, and then all the hype that leads up to actually publishing the book. It's an arduous task and not one to be taken on lightly.

So how do you get yourself in the right head-space for that? How do you prepare knowing that you have several mountains to climb to be able to get to that point where your books releases and does so right? A lot of it for me is about making sure that I have goals and targets that I meet. I like lists. I like checking things off. I like being organised, it soothes my anxious brain. So when it comes to approaching a release, like I am right now, I like to know that I'm on the right track and will get to the finish line with something approaching success.

I say the last part like that simply because while I have done this over twenty times before, I am still very much a small fish when it comes to success and publishing. I reach the right readers, and I am a full time author, but that's more because of other factors in my life rather than me pulling in enough royalties and the like to pay for me to live full time doing this. I like to include that because transparency is a good thing when it comes to the people you're looking to for advice.

So how do I make sure that I'm on target? How could you make sure that you don't end up skipping a step and falling flat on your face? Glad you asked, because I'm gonna give you some of my own tips. I will add the caveat that not everything will work for everyone, and also I'm giving these tips under the assumption that they are not your only research. So with that said, let's jump into it.

#1 LISTS AREN'T A BAD THING
I have, over the years, devised a number of ways for me to know that I'm on the right track, and they usually involve a whole lot of lists. I have ones for audiobook stages, ones for all the publishing stages, and one for things like what to do after a cover reveal and all of that. I have lists and more lists, but like I said above, that's one of the ways that I soothe my anxiety. For you, that might not work, but if they do, then making a list of every single stage, every single deadline, can help put things in perspective.

They also allow you to see, at a glance, just where you are in that publishing time line. The only thing I don't include on my list is drafting because I pretty much have that down in other ways. My lists include when to start revisions, and when to book the editor, and all of that. I have things that need to be done in advance, like booking the cover designer and the deadline for that. I have bits and pieces that I need to do before the cover reveal. I could go on, but you get my point. There's something to be said for good lists that help you keep track of what needs to be done and when.

#2 KEEPING TRACK OF TIME
I know not everyone tracks their time, or plans their month. I know not everyone does any kind of goals, and that's all perfectly fine and valid, but if you are someone who tracks, in whatever capacity that may be, using the lists above might help you work out when to slot things into your busy schedule. Like I know when I need to start revising, because of my lists. I also know that when it comes to making plans for the month ahead, what I should be planning to do. It's a good way to keep yourself on track, and also know if things are going to take longer than you originally thought they would.

Like I know that I can, generally, revise a draft in a month. I also know that sometimes that can mean hours long sessions, or it can mean a shorter period. So I know that trying to put one of those hours long sessions on a day when I'm also trying to draft a chapter, or do this or that, is not a good idea. It's better for me to put those sessions on days when I only have to focus on one thing writing wise. So they, usually, go on my recording days. It works for me, and allows all my focus to be on the revision itself rather than anything else writing related. It's just about finding what works for you.

#3 THINGS WILL GO WRONG, PLAN FOR IT
I wanted to include this last one because in over twenty books released, I don't think I've ever had a release that was smooth from start to finish. Things will go wrong, people will miss deadlines, hell you might miss deadlines, and you need to be able to have some fail-safe in your plan that allows for that, because otherwise you are going to end up super stressed and no one wants that!

Just like you need to plan for some downtime, which in my mind is not negotiable, you also need to plan for those times when edits take longer, or a cover takes a bit longer to get to you. Whatever works, plan it in. That way when and if things go wrong, you're not scrambling around because missing one deadline had a knock on effect and made you miss a whole load more. Plan for chaos, releasing a book is steeped in it!

So there we go, those are my three ways of making sure I stay on target when it comes to publishing. Like I said I'm in the midst of the last month of developmental edits and will then be moving onto the next stage. Next month I should even have the cover reveal for my upcoming book, and I cannot wait for you all to see it!

Remember to stay calm, to breathe, and you will get through to release day in one piece!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments below!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books.   

 

The Trials Of An Indie Author: Keeping Healthy Practices

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: KEEPING HEALTHY PRACTICES

One thing I learned very early on in my career was that there were many ways to be an indie author, and a writer. Some of them worked for a lot of people, and others just didn't. Some were 'healthy' ways, and some led the way to burnout, stress, and just all round not having a good time. It took me a very very long time, more time that it should have, to realise that I wanted to base my way of working around the healthy ways and not the ones that left me in literal tears, pulling my hair out, and just never finishing things and stressed to the max.

Now I know it's not as simple as me just saying that, one thing that is great about writers, and humans in general, is we all work differently. We all have different thought processes, different ways of doing things, and different things that will trigger stress, anxiety, and of course the worst one, burnout. So I know it's not a case of me telling anyone to do it my way and all will be sorted, because for a lot of people, my way is not healthy, and that's okay. It's all about what works for you.

I think it's very important to keep in mind that however you personally work, there will be people who approach things in a similar way, but no one will write and schedule and plan and all the rest in the exact same way as you do, and that's okay. That's normal. It's all about keeping that in mind, trying this and that, lifting parts of someone else's way of doing things, and combining it with a completely different way, and all of that trial and error to get to the point where you find the way that works for you.

I'm not just talking about the writing here either. That is a part of being an author, indie or trad, but it's not the only part. There's the marketing, and the promo, and the editing, and revising, and all the other many things that authors have to do to keep on top of things. I know recently there's been a lot of the us and them talk when it comes to indie and traditional, but for me, they've never been my competition, or my enemy. I went one path, they went the other, and it's all good.

So I'd advise that you leave that kind of thinking at the door, and focus more on how you can all work together. I have good friends who are trad pub, and good friends who are indie, and working together allows for us all to hone our craft and all of us to help bounce off each other and the like. It's not a competition where we have to 'defeat' or 'win'. There are more than enough readers to go around, and that's the beauty of publishing.

But back to the healthy practices! I'm not going to go into how I work, it's something I've talked about a lot before, and it feels like it would be repeating myself to the detriment of the people reading this. I will say that you have to be careful not to overload yourself when it comes to figuring out how you do this. Whether that's working out your own kind of writing routine, or your own way of doing revisions and edits, or even how you choose to approach the marketing beast, everyone had to have their own way to do that, and again, it's normal.

But when you're first starting to dip your toe into the indie life, you might find that you're kinda overwhelmed, there's the covers to deal with, the many editors to find, and then formatting and promo, and it's all just a bit of a lot. It's okay to need to take your time and wok slow. While there's a lot of talk of releasing a lot at once, or in quick succession, it doesn't have to be like that. Yes, it will take longer to build up your readership, but you are not in a race with anyone but yourself. So make sure you take care of you as well, because other wise, what's the point? If you burnout, that's gonna be a whole chunk of time when you can't do anything and it's not going to help matters.

So if I had to nail it down to one of two pieces of wisdom and advice, it would be start slow, take lots of breaks, and make sure you listen to your body. If you need to take breaks, that's okay. If you need to switch gears midway through, also okay. The most important thing in this process is making sure you stay as healthy as possible, and as able to continue as possible. That's only going to come from taking care of you.

I know that for some people there's this rush to publish and get the readers, and that's great, but rushing through just leaves you open for mistakes that might end up damaging you more than they help. Take it from someone who did make those mistakes when they first started, you don't want to be taking literal years to try and rebuild from the ground up.

Remember to breathe, remember to give yourself space, and time, and keep writing.

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books. 

The Trials Of An Indie Author: Delving Into Promotion

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: DELVING INTO PROMOTION

One thing that a lot of people don't realise is just how much promotion it takes to sell books. I can't claim to be an expert at it because even though I'll have been published 19 years in August and my 22nd book is coming later this year, I am, and have always been, a very small fish in the book world. I do find it hard to get all the ducks in a row and manage to get the word out there, and a lot of the time, it's that word that is going to help people see you, recognise you, and go on to read more and more of your works.

So why do I then come on here and talking about promotion when I've already made clear that I'm not an expert? Simple, I do know some, and a lot of it is things that might have escaped your notice. I don't really do the hard sell. My process is more about putting my book out there for people to see, and then letting them make that decision about whether or not to go any further and buy, read, and all the rest.

I spend a lot of time working on the promotion side of things out of sight of the public eye, as do a lot of authors I know. There's not much that appeals to readers by showing them how you go about making ads, or how you go about approaching promo sites and the like. The readers know this all happens, but they have no interest in having it laid out for them. Now when it comes to other writers and authors, that's when it appeals because they might find themselves in need of that information and know how. So, like with the majority of my blog posts, let's talk to the writers and authors in my audience.

STEP ONE: WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO ENTICE?
I know you've probably heard people talk about your target audience before and it's something that is really important to pin down. Like I know that my target audience is primarily young adults, so teens, but I also know that there are not a small number of adults who read YA, and I'd like to bring them into the fun too. For one part of my audience, the bigger chunk, the legitimate young adults, I'm going to focus on things like Instagram and YouTube, because I know that a lot of young adults will use that as their main social media, if they have any at all.

For the adults who read YA, I'll stick to Facebook and before I left the platform, Twitter, and now BlueSky and Threads. These are places where a lot of YA readers are hanging out and looking for their next read. It's hard to juggle having both an author platform that appeals to readers, while also having a platform that appeals to other authors, especially those in similar age categories and genres. I'm not going to claim that I've cracked it, but I'm getting to a point where I think the majority of the time, I am drawing in the right kind of people from both audiences. You need to do the legwork to find out who your audience is, and how you're going to reach them, or more to the point, where they are.

STEP TWO: HOW DO THEY CONSUME MEDIA?
Now that you know that illusive target audience and have some idea of who they are, how you reach them, or at least where they are, then you have to focus on how they do things online. I'm sticking to online because so much promotion these days is done in the online space. While you can spend more and more on maybe billboards and the like (depending on genre and age category) I don't have those kinds of funds and a lot of what I do is done on a smaller scale and limited budget.

When you know how, as in if they prefer posts, or reels, or shorts, or long form videos, then you can tailor what you're doing to hopefully catch the right eyes. I recently, as in this year, started doing reels, and given my platform I knew they were going to fall into three distinct categories: bookish ones, those focusing on my books and enticing readers, author life ones, those focusing on my process, and bringing in either curious readers or other authors, and wheelchair walk ones, those focusing on the wheelchair walks I do that bring in people interested by that and maybe might be open to learning more about me. You don't have to go to that level, but it's worked, or is working for me, and I'm enjoying myself which is the main thing.

STEP THREE: DECIDING HOW TO REACH THEM
This is partly a carry on from the previous step, in that once you know how they go looking for things, you can decide what your next steps are. Like I said above, reels are a great quick tool, and rather than me making more videos, which I already do on youtube, I looked to places like Canva to make reels that stand out, maybe have a few clips here and there, and also appeal to those three distinct audiences I attract on Instagram. You can apply that to any social media, like if you know that on Threads you hang out more with authors, then your promotion there should be tailored to them. If you know that on Facebook, you're connecting with readers more, same applies. It's about being smart with how you do things, and also going into it informed by those choices.

So yeah, that's how I approach things, and I know it's a mammoth task and it takes forever to sometimes see any traction, but the thing about building an author career is it does take time. It's very very rare for it to happen fast, and you just have to keep plugging away at it and hoping things all come together nicely. Good luck!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books.

The Trials Of An Indie Author: Taking Time Off

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: TAKING TIME OFF

It's come up to the end of the year and if, like me, you celebrate holidays then, you might be thinking about taking some time off. You might also just be getting to the end of the year and thinking it'd be a good idea to take a break from writing and work for a bit because this year has been super busy and a whole lot to deal with. All of which is valid, and I am right there with you!

That said, when it comes to being an indie author, it can be hard to really find time to take off from work because your work is kinda constant, and if you don't keep up with the promo and the like, it'll be really hard to capture attentions when it comes to restarting in January and the like. This is where I come in, both in telling you that it's okay to take time, however long that may be, and also that some things can be prepared in advance to allow you have a proper rest time.

So how do you do that? I'm going to take you through what I do when it gets close to the end of the year and am getting ready to take some time away from writing, work and all of that!

#1 SCHEDULE SOCIAL MEDIA
I know that sometimes that is a big time suck, and it can be tempting to think: oh it'll only take me a minute or two to post this, or share that. But it's not how it ends up going. You end up with several things to post and before you know it, it's been an hour and you're kinda thinking you should respond to comments and the like while you're there and then scroll through and watch stories, oh and answer this email. NO!

You need actual time off and for those of us who can't afford to hire someone to do it for us, there are ways to schedule posts. Now there are some sites that don't have this, and for that you might just have to go dark for a week or however long you plan to be gone, because unless you're relaxing and not working, it's too easy to get sucked into the work that comes from socials.

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, they all allow you to schedule posts. My blog here will let me schedule posts, and I know it works because I use it all the time. You might have to spend a little time preparing everything before you head off, but once it's done, you can switch off and know that's taken care of, just be sure to make it clear that you're taking time off so people don't assume you're still there and will be responding as quickly as you usually do.

#2 SET YOUR EMAIL TO HOLIDAY REPLY
I don't use this as much as I should, but I know the most email providers have a way to set a message so that any important emails coming through get a response that tells the sender that you're taking a break for however long. It means you don't have to worry too much about work emails being left unanswered while you're away.

#3 SEND NEWSLETTER/EMAIL TO THOSE WHO NEED TO KNOW
By this I mean there will be some people who do kinda need to be aware. If you are meant to be talking and you won't, or hosting a live or the like, or any number of things, then let people know that this time block will be your time off and make sure they're aware that you won't be responding, or around should they need you to be. Everyone needs breaks and anyone saying differently is just plain wrong!

So there we go, those are my three tips when it comes to taking time off at the end of the year. I will be doing the same, taking the last week off and just chilling and relaxing, and very happy about it!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books. 

 

The Trials Of An Indie Author: Fitting The Writing In

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: FITTING THE WRITING IN

One thing you learn quickly as an indie author is that it's a lot of hard work. That's not to say that the traditional route is easy either, but since I've only ever been an indie author, it's the only one I can reliably talk about. When it comes to being indie, you've got to write the books, revise/edit the books, publish the books, and do all the marketing for the books That's a lot even if it doesn't sound like it. And a big way to be successful and stay successful is to keep writing and publishing.

Now when I first starting writing seriously, I didn't have any publishing plans beyond the usual, get an agent, get a publisher and boom off we go. This was 2001, so there wasn't anything like social media and indie publishing to the degree there is now. The only real option for me as to go the traditional route, and there was little help in getting there. My point isn't to show you how old I am, but to point out that for a lot of that time, I kept writing. I don't mean that I banged out as many books in a year as I do now, but I did keep plugging away at my stories and seeing where they'd take me.

Because of that, I ended up with a bit of a backlog or buffer zone when it came time for me to actually start publishing. As it stands now, I have written double the amount of books I have published, so there's little for me to be worried about in running out of books, but that doesn't mean that working to fit the writing in, isn't something that appears on my schedule and the like.

If you follow me on other social media, or you've been around for a while, you'll know that I do manage to fit the writing into my schedule consistently and continually throughout the year. I am, at the moment into my third set of two books for the year. I won't finish these until January time, but I think almost six books in a year is a pretty good place to be, especially as I've also managed to fit in revision, editing and the release of book twenty-one coming in November (pre-order here!)

So I thought that today I would give you a few tips on how to make time for the writing, when you have all those other things to get done as an indie author. After all, without the books, and without writing new ones, then you're not going to have much of a career.

#1 SCHEDULE WRITING TIME
I know this isn't possible for everyone, so don't worry it won't be my only tip of this kind. I know that for some people, their lives are not conducive to scheduling and planning the way that I do it. Though if you are able to set aside an hour here and there, then I really do find that it works well and allows for me to get my head in the right mindset for sitting down and just writing. I've found that knowing when I'm going to be writing lets me set myself up for a successful writing session, same as knowing when I'll be revising and the like. So if this is something you haven't tried and think will work for you, then go ahead and do this. It can be a life changer when it comes to organising your time.

#2 AIM FOR X WRITING SESSIONS A WEEK/MONTH
This might sound like scheduling but it's really not. This is more fluid and allows you to fit things in when you're able without the pressure of knowing it has to be at a certain time of day. If you're able, then think about a certain target to hit, whether that's words, or pages, or chapters, or whatever. This was something that I used to do before I got into planning, and while I didn't always have consistent success with it, that doesn't mean that it won't work for you. It feels, to me, more like setting aside time when you have it, to sit down and write for x amount of time, and x amount of times a week or month.

#3 A MIXTURE OF THE TWO
Sometimes things change, and sometimes you can be working one way and all being fine, and then life happens and things have to be switched around. The point of all of this is to ease your stress, not add to it, so if you find that one works and then for some reason it doesn't, don't be afraid to do a mixture, or to change things around. The idea is to give you time to write and create and if the only way you can do that is by doing it one way for one week or month, and then moving things around to do it another way a different time, that's completely okay! Find what works for you, that's the important thing here.

So yeah, those are the ways I've used over the years to fit my writing into my busy schedule. I may have leaned more to the first than the second these days, but that's just how my brain works. I like to know what I'm going to be doing and when, but I have, at times, done a bit of the second to be able to get back on track. Good luck with your writing!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books. 

The Trials Of An Indie Author: Sleepless Nights & Other Matters

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: SLEEPLESS NIGHTS & OTHER MATTERS

If you've been around my socials for any length of time, you'll know that I am a very early riser (sometimes much to my chagrin) and get all my work done in the wee hours. It started out where I would wake up naturally around 4/5am and then it made sense to get the work done and out of the way before everyone else in the house, and my circle, woke up and needed things from me. In the past year or so I've started waking up even earlier, like midnight to 3am and as I sit here writing this blog post, it's almost 4am and I've been up since around 1am. So I know something about sleepless nights, and while it sounds like it's just a me thing, I know, from talking to other indie authors, that it's very much not.

When I first started writing, I always struggled with insomnia, which was hilarious to me because two of my chronic conditions cause fatigue so you'd think I'd be sleeping all the time, not the case. However, whenever I would see things like the 5am writers club on Twitter and the like, I'd seriously wonder who would do that willingly, because even though I couldn't always sleep, I didn't feel up to doing anything during that time. It's really only been the last two or three years that I've found I can be somewhat productive during the middle of the night, and while I've never embraced the hashtag on Twitter, since I find I write better on my own without distractions, I am very much a member of the club.

So what does this have to do with being an indie author? Well, I know I've talked before about there is a whole lot that indie authors (and trad pub as well to be fair) have to get done for releases, for writing, editing, promoting and all the rest of it. It's been something where I've found that because I'm in the UK, and a lot of the writers I know are elsewhere in the world, and a lot of the promo groups are in the US, this is a serious advantage for me to be awake, willingly, at these hours of the day. I can get so much done, and it allows me to reach out to promo groups and the like, and get instant, or almost instant responses. It also means that by about 9am my time, I'm done for the day because those conditions that cause fatigue may wake me super early, but they don't always allow me to function beyond that small window of time.

Now I am not, in any way, saying that to be a successful indie author that you have to get up at 5am or some other time of the wee hours. Not in the slightest. I know that there are all kinds of different writers out there who are morning writers, evening writers, middle of the night writers, afternoon writers and so on. You've got to do what works for you, and you've got to take care of yourself. My circumstances are my own, and they allow for me to do what I need to get done, but they also seriously curtail my social life because although I try to sleep past those early mornings on days off, or other days, I can't get back to sleep, and then by about 4pm, I'm ready for bed, so that's the payoff, and while I'm, mostly, okay with that, it can seriously suck!

But one of those things I've learned is that there are ups and downs of all parts of the indie life. It's not easy for any of us, even those who are making six figures and the like, they work hard, we all work hard. That applies to trad pub too, being an author of any kind is not and has never been easy. Part of being indie is that a lot of the time, you have to do a whole lot to be able to be successful. Now I wouldn't call myself successful in the true sense of the word, since while I am a full time author, it doesn't pay me full time, but I will say that I have gotten better at juggling all the hats indies have to wear (piece here) because of my whacked up sleep schedule.

It's one of those things that you don't really realise until you're in the thick of things and starting to manage it all. When I first got into planning my time, all those years ago, and went with the sticky notes (piece here) and then moved onto paper planners, I didn't really fathom just how I was spending my time. Now that I track (almost) every work thing I do (piece here), it's really opened my eyes to just what I'm doing, and how many hours I'm putting in.

Of course I have that added twist of only being able to manage, at most, three hours a day of work before my body waves that little white flag and I have no choice but to call it quits. That will throw a wrench in the works for me, as it would for anyone, because sometimes you need to be doing more to be able to manage and promote and the like. That said, I'm pretty pleased with what I pull off, though I would love to be able to do more, because I think it would really help me go from being a small fish, to one that is maybe a tiny bit bigger. But that's just how life works.

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books.

The Trials Of An Indie Author: Hard Work Pays

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: HARD WORK PAYS

One thing you get told a lot when you're starting to publish, whether that's through the indie route or traditional, is that it will be hard work. I don't think anyone who goes through the query trenches, or through the editing process will ever doubt that because it's very much true. Whether you've had to query to get an agent, or if you're deciding to go it on your own and go indie, you're going to have to work hard to make it as an author, no matter what 'making it' mean to you.

It's not just a case of time and energy poured into writing that first draft, and then editing, and revising, and all that goes with it, but the cost to you personally. It can be monetary for those of us on the indie path, and it can be other things when it comes to the traditional path. You'll lose sleep, you'll spend hours upon hours going through things, and you may find that at the end of it, you're drained and unsure whether you want to continue on this author life.

I don't say this to depress you, or to discourage you, and of course, I can only talk about the indie path because that's the only one I've walked to completion. I say this because you should be aware that feeling like that? Feeling like it's all for nothing, or that you've given everything you have and don't know if you have any more? That is completely normal, and I guarantee that pretty much every author you've read, or known, or met, or whatever, has, at some point, felt that way too.

I have been publishing for a long while, over fifteen years, and I have to say that even though I'm very much a small fish, I do still feel that burn, that struggle, when it comes to bringing a book into the world. It's not an easy path to walk down, and I'd say that writing the book is in fact the easiest part. Telling yourself that story and getting it onto the page pales in comparison to revising, and editing, and going through the whole publication process. The anxiety you feel, the stress, the angst, the anguish when things go wrong (as they generally do) is completely normal. That doesn't make it easy to deal with though, and I get that on a deep level.

One thing that I have learned over the years, and that has stuck with me, is that it's all worth it in the end. Like I said, I'm very much a small fish when it comes to the world of publishing. I sell books, I get reviews, but I'm nowhere near a big name, and I'm pretty much okay with that. I can only imagine the amount of stress and pressure that must come from being a big name, and while the sales and such would be nice, I'm also happy to write my books for the readers that need them.

But my point is simply that, while on this hard road, you will learn to work out what works for you, how to reach those readers and how to make it so that your hard work pays off. While it can take a while for you to get into your groove, it's very much worth it. I've been writing my stories and publishing for a while, as I said, and I have never found it easy to publish. I have never found it a quick path that brings no stress, but that hard work pays off. That hard work is what brings the right readers to my work, and gives them the stories that they need to read.

So even when it feels like so much is going wrong, or feels like you're never going to get to the point where it's something you can brush off, remember that this path is a hard one, and it's completely normal to find it that way. Writing stories, writing books, publishing them, it's not a quick ride to riches and it's not a path that everyone can walk. Someone, years ago, once said to me that the world needs your stories, stories that only you can tell, and I have to agree that's the case. It's hard work yes, but it's rewarding work that is worth the hardship.

Keep writing, keep telling your stories, and know that there are readers out there who need them.

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books.

The Trials Of An Indie Author: Time & Money Matters

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: TIME & MONEY MATTERS

One thing that always sticks in my mind around this time of year is getting everything together for taxes, and making sure you have all your royalty reports and the like. I know that with the way KDP and other sites work, you can't actually get those final figures until past January, but it's still something that sits in the back of my mind and I worry about getting everything together. A lot of the time, it can feel like you're rushing around last minute and then you finally check everything and download it all, and send it off in the new year and it's like a massive relief to have it done.

The other thing that always sticks in my mind around this time of year is the lack of time when it comes to everything that needs to be done. Not just those royalty reports I mentioned, but tying up the loose ends, getting ready for any sales you might run through the holidays and afterwards and making sure that all your graphics and posts and the like are ready to go on the day. Part of being an indie author is wearing a lot of different hats, which I've talked about before (found here) and it doesn't ever really get easier, you just get more used to doing it.

Like at the time of writing, I am finishing off my November by getting everything in place ready for December and beyond. I've worked out a system that works for me, where I do my writing for the month, and then settle down in those last few days and do vlog scripts and blog posts and all the graphics and such needed for the upcoming month. It's worked for me for a long while, but yet as I approach the holidays and the end of the year, I do find myself getting increasingly anxious that I've missed something. I worry that something has slipped my notice and won't be picked up until the day of, or after, that it's due. It might seem silly to anyone else, but to be it's very real.

So I've devised a system of checks, a way to make sure that when I'm sitting down to end the month off, since I usually take a couple of days off between the end of one month and the start of another, I'll go through it all and make sure I can put a solid check mark by it. If I'm not sure, then I won't mark it off and will go back through to make sure I have everything.

This can be anything from making sure the newsletter is done and ready to go out on the first, to making sure my ads are all queued up and have been approved, to making sure that my vlog scripts are ready, that the blog is filled with posts that will carry me through the next month and into the one following since I always write all for the upcoming month, and one for the month following that, just in case chaos happens and I need to save time somewhere. I make sure that my planner is penned in, that the ipad calendar is also reading the same. I double check that I have all the graphics needed for Instagram for the upcoming month, that the past months have been done completely and that I'm ready for when the calendar turns over to the first. I make sure that I know what's going to happen in my chapters for the month, if not all of them, then at least the first few. I make sure that my alarms are all set and that I've given myself enough time to get everything done. I also make sure that, going back to the start of this piece, I've downloaded the latest month's royalty reports, because I know that come January 1st, I'm going to need to be able to switch over to the new year and I need as many of them as I can get.

It sounds like a lot, and it is, and sometimes I'll do these things over the month as a whole so that it's not all a massive rush to get it done at the end of the month, and I'm not having to rush through things and possibly make mistakes. I track my time, have done for a couple of years now, so I know how long things will take. I know how long it'll take me to write those blog posts and vlog scripts. I know how long to leave for things like making graphics. I know all of this and I still worry, because the indie author life is all about wearing those different hats and making sure that you have what you need when it comes to the tax man, or even just trying to justify the cost of what you're doing to yourself and possibly your family.

So my advice? If you're someone who can plan things out, do it in stages, don't leave it to the last day of the month before you do it all. If you're someone who doesn't have that skill, or it doesn't work for you, then at the least, make a list, check it twice, and make sure you have everything in place because you will save yourself a whole lot of headache and stress if you do that. When it comes to the indie author life, time and money are a massive factor in how things get done. If you have the funds to pay for an assistant, go for it, I wish I could, but it's not in the cards for me. And overall, remember to breathe, remember to take time off, remember to have moments to yourself, and if you are in the run up to a celebratory time, remember to take that time to enjoy it. Good luck!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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