Happy Friday!! I don’t know how it’s Friday again! I can’t believe on Monday SOUL MAGIC re-releases! How is time going so fast? I’m excited to see how all this plays out with re-releasing the series. But I’m trying to not get too caught up in the promo and watching sales to focus on my new book. However, the market has changed so drastically that it now takes a heck of a lot more work (and $$) to sell books. It’s an interesting dilemma. I’m spending a great deal of my time contacting retailers and talking to them, arranging (and paying!) for promo, then watching which promo works, which entails tracking sales to figure that out.
All that takes time away from writing my new book, which is not a good strategy. Especially since then next book is a sexy, emotional contemporary that is a stronger market. So I’m striving to find that balance.
The answer is in focus. Sheer focus. Honestly I think this is an area of weakness for some of us females as we are wired to be able to multi-task and often end up DISTRACTED. Or maybe that’s just me? Anyway, I’m really working on focusing on one thing at a time, but it’s… a work in progress. For me, focus means concentrating on writing and staying off the internet. But of course, I find something I need to research, go online to Google and then the next thing I know, I’m answering email or looking at sales numbers and not writing. I must focus! I can do this…
Maybe 
This weekend, I think Wizard and I are going to the auto show. Wizard loves cars, so we usually go every year and look around. He dreams of cars the same way I dream about French bulldogs <g> But I think right now, we have a better chance of getting a dog than a new car, LOL!
What are your weekend plans? And do you happen to have any tips on focusing and staying off the internet????
Have a great weekend!!
October 16th, 2015 at 7:18 am · Link
I dunno. I think the busier you get, the faster time flies. I know Hubs talks about the years he worked all being a blur and now he’s glad he finally has time to enjoy things. He retired and time is slowing down. I self-published and time is speeding up. And once again, we’re moving in different temporal lanes. LOL
Focus. What? Squirrel! I guess I try to focus on one thing at a time. Mornings, I focus on updating spreadsheets, blogging, email, social media. Nights, I focus on writing work – new words, editing, etc. Afternoons? I’m a total layabout with random spurts of busyness. I know keeping a date book has really helped this year. I know what I did and what I have to do, deadlines for stuff, etc.
Come on! It can’t be the weekend again already. Where did the week go? Oh yeah, editing. Which is done and back in the editor’s hands. Now I have to figure out why my wifi and my Kindle aren’t getting along so I can download my next manuscript for a read-through. If I get that accomplished today, I’ll be working on that this weekend. And watching college football, the baseball playoffs, and it’s free movie channel weekend on Directv, which should eat up some hours.
October 16th, 2015 at 7:31 am · Link
I’m still not done with TDC. I have 3 minutes and then I’m disappearing from the ‘net until I type THE END! *headdesk* And I hate marketing. You are far more organized than I am! You and B.E. are cut in the same mold.
I have OKRWA but will probably skip out the first half of the day to go watch Baseball Boy’s 14U team play in a tournament. Sunday, it’s right back to work again. I have a 11/30 deadline for RDR#4. It shouldn’t be such a pain to write. LOLOL
Were you and Wiz or the boys affected by the I-5 mudslide? Y’all’s weather is as crazy as ours! Enjoy the car show, though. I fully expect fun conversations to be reported next week.
Have a great weekend!
October 16th, 2015 at 10:34 am · Link
It’s not just you – I have to multi-task even when I’m multi-tasking :/
And I hear ya on the marketing front – SOOOOO much I don’t know or understand. The good thing is, I joined an anthology with gals who have done this before so I was hoping it would be a learning exp.. The bad thing? Even tagging along with well known authors is no guarantee a book will sell…
I’m sure you will do fine with the re-release though, everyone LOVES your WSH series <3
October 16th, 2015 at 11:29 am · Link
B.e, doesn’t it figure you’d get busier when your husband slows down? Same here, although Wizard keeps himself occupied so it works out.
A date book is a good idea–most of my stuff is in my head or on random post it notes. I’ve not yet found a calendar system that I like.
Yay on getting your edits done! That’s a big accomplishment!
Hope you can get your Kindle and Wifi to sync up. I’ve had it happen but can usually resolve it pretty easily. Good luck!
October 16th, 2015 at 11:34 am · Link
Silver, I wouldn’t say I’m organized, LOL! But I can usually keep a schedule in my head, and I’ve been doing some marketing research later since sales are much tougher to come by these days. And FYI< once I have a fair idea of which promos worked for me, I'll share all that with you guys. It's always a pain to write, LOL! Hope you can get to The End quickly! Deadline pressure is brutal. Thanks for asking on the mudslide, and no we weren't in that. It's rare we're out that way. But man that was awful for those people trapped in it! It happened so fast. It's supposed to be an El Nino year which explains all this craziness.
October 16th, 2015 at 11:37 am · Link
Niki, multi tasking is good and bad. I need to slow it down and focus.
Being in that anthology is great experience for you! I read your story and really enjoyed it. Keep writing!!! As far as sales, it’s pretty spotty out there now, and very hard to get attention on your book.
Have a great weekend!
October 16th, 2015 at 1:15 pm · Link
I turned the Kindle on to mess with it again before I called the phone company about the wifi, and it worked again like nothing had happened. I think the universe wanted me to take last night off.
October 16th, 2015 at 1:23 pm · Link
Too many people are out there reading free or .99 cent ‘themed’ stuff lately. You see it all over FB. Some of them are soooooo absurd – people are reading just to see what all the fuss is about or to get a good laugh. I feel like there are fewer people out there searching for GOOD books they can get truly lost in.
They prefer the McDonalds and BurgerKings over the steak-house stories. I don’t get it.
October 16th, 2015 at 4:02 pm · Link
That stinks that you have to spend so much in promotion to sell books. I sure hope that fans help with promoting yours and other authors work.
You’re not alone in the focus department :).
Wow, you’re taking the weekend off! Good for you. You and Wizard have a great time at the auto show.
Have a great weekend :)!
October 16th, 2015 at 8:43 pm · Link
B.E., I’ve had my Kindle get wonky until I rebooted it. And once for no reason I could figure out, I had to reestablish the wifi connection. So glad it worked out! Anything’s better than calling and trying to convince the provider there’s a problem!
October 16th, 2015 at 8:45 pm · Link
Niki, a lot of it is pure saturation, and now readers are more discriminating, not buying as many books. It’s all getting harder — we just have to love it enough to keep doing it. Hang in there!
October 16th, 2015 at 8:48 pm · Link
Viki, aww thanks for the sympathy. I can’t really complain, maybe sales aren’t great but I get to do a job I love. And fans are awesome!
Hope you guys have a great weekend!