Promote or Perish

For those of you who have not checked the Children's Book Insider, I highly recommend it. They have writers, teachers and connectors who help children's writers become successful. 

This week, Jon Bard, the co-owner of CBI is teaching about marketing. In fact, I am in the middle of a video on the subject right now (paused). Jon just made the statement that publishing is not much about "publish or perish" anymore, but much more like "promote or perish." 

That hit home. For those of us who write, have children and hold down crazy hectic day jobs, the idea that we also have to find time to promote our work is beyond daunting. It sounds more like mission impossible. Anyway, I hope to take on a professional view of marketing (er, book advocacy) with CBI's help. I'll let you know how it goes. - Q

The Deep End

Authors are talking about the pros and cons of online connectivity. 

Pros = keeping current with publishing changes, linking/friending writers, editors, and readers, as well as marketing your work 

Cons = finding time to write, attend conferences, and spend time with family, horses, dogs, and cats.

Initially, I kept to the shallow end of the pool with 2 websites (fiction and non-fiction). Slowly, I waded in with LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs, Twitter, and Pinterest (fun!). I'm up to my neck now, but wait, there's more! 

With global competition for a reader's attention, authors must take on much more of a book's online and hands-on marketing efforts. 

How many hours are there in a day again? Where's a pesky time machine when you need one?

Do I have the answer? Well, I recently read an eloquent Writer Unboxed post by Robin LaFevers on prioritizing and saying no to time-consuming things that don't grow your writing dreams. For me, it was a life preserver in an increasingly murky marketing pool.

With a new picture book, Alphabet Puke: Monsters' Medicine A-Z, ready to launch next month, Robin's post reminded me that saying no was not just an option for writers, but a necessity. 

Sans a time machine, saying no, gives writers time back to relax in/out of the pool.  
-Q

White Time

As many writers experience, story ideas come with little or no advance notice. The same is true of unexpected writing time. As this backyard picture illustrates, I was geographically blessed by winter storm Euclid hitting my area on Christmas day. 

With little advance warning, 12-15 inches of snow incapacitated the roads and put 190,000 people in the city out of power. Luckily, I didn't lose power even though many friends are still without electricity. [I've asked them to stay, but the roads are too icy to make it to my house which sits on a very steep hill.] 

So, instead of worrying about missing after Christmas sales, I've settled in and accepted this gift of writing time with open arms. I'm getting caught up on marketing deadlines, working on my website, checking in on Facebook and Pinterest and may even Tweet if the inspiration hits. 

Mostly, I'm recording sensory details for future projects. I love winter, but now I'll depend less on memory for winter details (crystal crackling of ice falling from the trees) and more on my notes.

A sudden winter storm strengthened my writing and spirit. Post holiday chaos has been replaced with white time to recharge and create. Happy winter!
-Q