Busy Busy Busy & Excuses Excuses!

So Very Many Things To Do!

Have you ever found yourself with lists of your lists? How did we get so busy?

My first ten titles were traditionally published. I averaged one title a year for the first ten years of my writing career (1999-2009), then in 2014, six months and a day–per my contract–after Simon and Schuster’s release of VOW UNBROKEN, I became a hybrid author.

I published HEARTS STOLEN independently.
It debuted in September that year, then A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS launched in November. I loved the process, every bit as rewarding to hold that book in my hands as any of my traditionally published titles.

I loved creating my own novels through Amazon! They made it all so easy! And it was practically free! For the next seven years, 2015-2021, I released an average of SEVEN new titles a year. That’s a LOT of work! Indie authors don’t just write the story, they edit and recruit more editors and proofreaders then make all those corrections.

While writing the tale, an Indie author has to start thinking about a cover. I’ve worked with several graphic designers through those years, moving to the next for several reasons including costs, their lack of keeping to the agreed-upon schedule, and them thinking I was much too picky–sometimes they just couldn’t create what I saw in my head! I’m of the old school that covers DO matter!

Working with my present cover lady, Randi Gammons of Randi Gammons Graphic Designs has been a true dream. She’s a God-send!

Once the manuscript is completed and edited it needs to be formatted. For me, designing the interior of the book is a fun process, choosing the size, color of the paper, fonts, and more. I love making the words look pretty on the page with fancy chapter headers and page break markers–the front and back information pages are important to me. I get to talk to my readers on those. Some pay for their manuscripts to be formatted, I learned after the first book to do my own.

Calendars Are Important!

An indie author must be constantly aware of the calendar! I start with the date I want to release my book. It needs to be decided well in advance–sometimes up to a year for everything to go smoothly. For a book to debut in May, its actual writing needs to be finished by February or March so that I can have ARC copies available for my early readers and bloggers who write those all-important early reviews on my stories.

I plan to turn in my 2023 release schedule to Celebrate Lit today–in July of 2022–so they can reserve the dates for my book’s blog tour. I highly recommend Celebrate Lit–founded by a precious Christian lady I so admire–to promote a novel whether a new release or a backlist title! For them to set up 14 or more bloggers to read and review a book takes time and they need all the title’s information three or four months in advance.

Other promotions for the new release must be carefully planned as well: author interviews, guest blogs, cover reveal parties, launch parties, and face-to-face book signing events. There are other promotional companies like BookBub, Robin Reads, the Fussy Librarian, and Books Go Social that require dates reserved well in advance as well. The indie author does all that herself! There’s so much to do! After setting dates, there’s the actual event that needs attention!

So that May title needs its cover and back cover copy, AISN (ID for eBooks), and ISBN (ID for paperback books) sometime in January! With the finished, formatted manuscript and final cover complete, the author uploads to Amazon, choosing categories and keywords that will help readers find their titles, then they click that “Submit for Publishing” button and promotion begins in earnest.

Imagine keeping all that straight for seven titles to be released in twelve months–really only eleven because I drop out of sight in December as much as possible because I don’t “do” xmas, believing God told me the holiday men instituted does not honor Him with its pagan origins and traditions.

I tell you all this to say, “I’ve had no time to keep my website updated or send out email newsletters!” All the things I’ve mentioned are my excuses for these oversights! I haven’t been slothful! I’ve been busy, busy, busy! 😊

A couple of years ago, God told me to slow down, and I did. I gave up HeartWings Blog in January of 2020 that I founded and oversaw twenty-plus ladies who blogged each month Monday through Friday, their schedules and doing images for those technically challenged.

I also gave up Heroes, Heroines, & History and Sweet Americana Sweethearts both–blogs where I’d agreed to post once a month, but I still published seven titles last year in 2021. My Father wanted me to slow down more though, so this year, I’m only releasing four new titles.

I have more time to help other authors and hopefully to promote the titles I do have. I’ve been getting up and away from the computer a LOT more, too, going outside and helping Ron with projects around getting a flock of chickens and a new herd of goats going. That’s good exercise for the old lady! 😊 You may find all my titles at my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE!

So, there you have it! Have you been busy? What’s your excuse?