Are you making it during these difficult financial times? Is your writing suffering as you concentrate your efforts on a paying job or on finding a job? Are you a professional freelance writer or do you rely on the income from your published book? How are you handling the slowdown? Or are you experiencing a slowdown? Are you scrambling to get more writing work—doing more promotion? Are you willing to expand your services in order to get work? Or have you given up on your writing work in exchange for a regular job?
What is your story? How are you keeping your head above water? Comment here. Let’s share and network. Maybe we can help each other.
I’ve been in touch with some of my former clients this month. I like to know how their projects are going. One of them gave me a newsy update and included this comment, “I am realizing that the more patient I am about this process (of publishing a book) the better things tend to work out.” She goes on to tell me about some opportunities that have come up with regard to her book project because she is taking her time moving through the process rather than rushing things. She said that if she’d grasped at the first straw offered, she would have spent more money and missed out on some marvelous opportunities. She doesn’t have a published book, yet. But she still has money in her pocket. AND she is currently negotiating with an organization who wants to help her with promotion.
Perhaps you recall my article, Hurry Up and Fail. It deals with this very issue. Check it out at:
http://www.matilijapress.com/articles/publish_hurryfail.htm
Herein, I suggest that hopeful authors take the publishing process in manageable increments and logical steps. I list the important steps and when to initiate them. If you are writing a book for publication, if you do not read another article this month, read this one—Hurry Up and Fail.
My article, How to Protect Yourself From Publishing Scams appeared in the January 2009 edition of the SPAN Connection (the newsletter of the Small Publishers of North America).
Have you checked out my latest ebook, Catscapades, Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats? This book is also available in print (comb-bound) form. http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html