|
Post by Admin on Sept 5, 2016 19:31:40 GMT
I got notice that both the Writers Market book for 2017 and the Agent book for 2017 have shipped. My plans at this moment are:
1. Start going through my old Magazine Market book and begin to check out possible markets for articles. a. Once a week send out at least one query to a magazine. This means check out the magazine to see if it's still alive and well. Check to see what they are looking for and create an idea for an article that I can pull together fairly fast.
2. Begin to look at the agent listings. Post at least one Agency every week. We need to start building contacts. For me, the first book of 2018 will be the one I try for an agent on. I want to be ready. a. I have a couple of ideas for non-fiction books. One in particular is to take the Walk With Me blog that is already written. Adapt it to a coffee table book market and include a lot of Joshua's paintings. People are always asking us for a coffee table book. There might be a market for it. I won't know until I query. I want to have at least 20 article ideas making the rounds. This will take me a couple of months to accomplish.
5. I need to begin writing podcasting and webinar material.
6. Once a week, I want to devote a morning to updating social media and keeping websites active and vibrant.
|
|
|
Post by bill on Sept 6, 2016 3:34:08 GMT
These sound like great goals! I think you should definitely get your Walk With Me blog queried because that was some great stuff. I hope someone will pick it up.
I need to get into more of a rhythm with my schedule. I'm still learning how to organize my time. I know I need to spend more time working on ways to make money, which I'm sure I'll do soon. The magazine idea sounds good, but it's another new thing and I feel a bit overwhelmed by all the newness. And I've noticed if I get too many things going then I tend to shut down, so I've got to learn the proper balance. I hope to figure all this out soon!
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Sept 6, 2016 11:15:12 GMT
I've been going after this for a long time. At least 15 years. I don't get to work at it the way I'd like to. Life won't let me. I have to juggle a lot of balls in the air. Not just mine, but Joshua's too.
Organization has always been my downfall. Ideas come easy. Somehow, I need to block out time and approach this as a job. Where I clock in every day, plant myself down, and simply work. I used to have a solid 5:30 to 9am. Every day. That was my time. Hank was up and gone. Josh slept until 9. I could count on those hours.
Then Hank started staying home and he's a morning person. Having him moving around, making noise, talking to me, interrupts my thought processes. I am not as productive. Then Joshua figured out he can be a writer and to him, morning hours are work hours. He wants to work. More of my time whittled away. I have not figured out a new work schedule. And I need to.
One of my solutions is to buy sound deadening head phones. All I can find are the ones you listen to music through. They don't keep out sound. I'm still hunting. I figured if I have the head phones on, the noise distraction will go down, and Hank and Josh will know I'm working. I'm still hunting for a good pair.
I think I'll figure out a day that is devoted to the query writing/social media/business stuff. For me, Sunday works the best. I'll jot down during the week the things I want to accomplish on the business side and then know that Sunday morning, I will work on that list. I am more productive if I have a defined order to things. And I never thought I would say that because I spent my life trying not to be tied down.
|
|
|
Post by bill on Sept 6, 2016 13:23:28 GMT
Some times I can write at home and be very productive, and others there are too many distractions. The distractions are in my head - chores, errands, tv, sleep, etc., but they're real. Sometimes I go to Wichita and sit in Panera Bread or Chic-fil-a and write. I tend to get a lot written during those times. I'm trying to learn to recognize when I'm going to be productive at home and when I'm not. In time I need to figure out how to be more productive more often writing from my house. I think I can do it in time.
I have a notebook and keep a list of what I need/want to accomplish each week, day, month. This helps me stay focused and allows me to write things down so I know I won't forget them. If I don't write them down my mind will cling to it and I can't concentrate.
I don't try to do much when my kids are around. Even when I do it's usually too distracting, which is fine because I don't count on any of those times. But I've found talking to them about what I'm doing can help me think of other ideas and most of the time they enjoy hearing about it. I'm still new to all of this and have a lot to learn, for sure!
|
|