Happy Hump Day, WG2E-Land!
As many of you know, in April 2012, I’m releasing my next non-fiction book 10 Years and 24 Hours to Indie Epublishing Success.
I’ve been keeping a journal of my Indie Epub Journey, and many of the entries from that journal I’ll use to kick-off various topics in the book.
But thanks to a comment this week from one of our WG2E-Land Peeps Sarah Ross, I got to thinking about one of the huge elements of my Indie Epub Journey that I just didn’t want to wait till April to share with y’all.
Here was Sarah’s comment:
DD- you are amazing! I wish I had your energy, and your time to write! I know a lot of people agree with me that we wish we could make writing our full time job, but can’t at this point in time. I am jealous of the amount of time you’re able to invest in this!
How do you suggest a person diversify who doesn’t have that many projects ready? It took me 4 months to write my first novel which is coming out in December, and I have started a second. But it won’t be ready until Summer for publishing (if I stay on track).
I’d love to hear some suggestions to help a new girl out.
Well y’all know by now that “helpin’ a new girl or guy out” along their Indie Epub Journey is one of the things that totally makes my muses dance like nobody’s watching.
Nothin’ beats writers helping writers!
That said, here’s how I initially answered Sarah:
I hear ya on the writing full-time thing, Sarah…
But…
I just started writing full-time during the last two years.
I worked full-time and tons of overtime too for the first 10 years of my writing-for-publication journey! I wrote ten manuscripts during that 10 year period…so I totally “get” that part of each of your journeys. I was able to write one full-length manuscript per year while working full-time. Now, writing full-time, I write four full-length manuscripts and about a dozen novellas and short stories per year!!!
I think then, while working full-time, you can begin to diversify by writing novellas and short stories along with with your full-length novels. If you can write one full-length novel a year, try to squeeze in a couple short stories too…that way you’re increasing your cyber shelf space at three-times your novel writing rate.
Make sense?
So I first began to tackle the ‘ole Time/Commitment Dilemma with my Indie Epublishing Diversification Plan…BUT…I have another little trick I teach in Muse Therapy that will sooo help y’all too!
I call it “Commitment and The Macomber Method”…
Here’s the scoop…straight from my Muse Therapy Archives:
Today’s Muse Therapy Extra Tidbit is all about “Commitment” — oh, and not the neurotic writer-nut type my DH thinks I may need to be committed for…LOL!!!
We’re talking “commitment” as derived from a question a past student asked me. She inquired:
“I’m curious when you became serious enough to commit to getting up at ungodly hours of the morning. Is that something that came once you felt like you were really close? I battle this in my own mind because sometimes I think I AM working hard and then other times, I think I’m a major slug compared to other people. So maybe I don’t want it enough or I’m not truly willing to do what it takes to get published.”
First, for me and my commitment level — and I’ll preface this by saying that’s
why my DH thinks I’m a neurotic writer-nut and may need to be committed – enough is never enough! I’m always, always, ALWAYS asking myself “what else can I be doing to increase my visibility and to create a new opportunity and the next one after that and the next one…?”
But that’s just me and what works for me and my muses The Carrie Squad. I’ve just got tons of ideas always flowing (which I jot down on whatever is around me at the time…you don’t even want to go there…LOL!…I’ll scribble on ANYTHING!!!) because I never stop thinking about producing my ideas. Even when I try to shut it off, I can’t. Except when I go to bed…LOL! I’m completely out in less than five minutes! LOL!
Your commitment – whether it’s getting up wayyy early or staying up late or just writing one hour each day or less – is serious enough WHEN YOU’RE READY FOR IT TO BE. It’s really that simple and almost that harsh and beyond difficult at the same time.
To catapult my desires to another level, I have NEVER waited for any bit of success (winning a contest, finding an agent, getting a great review, waiting to see how my writer peep’s Indie Epub books did before publishing mine) .
Okay…that’s a bit of a lie…but it sounds good, right?
I did wait…for 10 Years, while trying like hell to get published the TradiPub Route.
But NO MORE!!!
I first started ”Acting As If” I was already there…because why? you ask…Debbie Macomber told me to!
She told me to do just that at RWA in Reno in 2005ish (not sure that’s the right year but close). That’s how she (and Allison Brennan too – she’s been a great personal example to me as well — luv them!) made it…because they never stopped to let the doubt that they weren’t there yet stop ‘em!
I’ve never slowed down or looked back since!
It may have taken me five years from that Acting As If Launch to gather the knowledge and guts to Indie Epublish, but I did it!!!
If you’re ready NOW then NOW is the time to step-it-up!
Don’t waste the 10 years I did, traveling a road where you’re not in control of your career path and destiny.
That being said…I’m going to challenge you to MAKE MORE OF YOUR TIME CENTERED ON PURSUING YOUR WRITING-FOR-PUBLICATION CAREER.
You all may be doing tons of fabulous things for the writing world and beyond but how is YOUR WRITING PRODUCTION when you look at pages produced or ideas firmly in place and ready to go?
That’s why we actually do a time study of sorts in Muse Therapy. So hang in
there with me.
And please don’t think I’m telling you to quit any of the wonderful things you
do IF THEY’RE MAKING YOUR MUSES DANCE AND HELPING YOU CRANK OUT YOUR OWN PAGES…but and that’s a huge but…you’ve got to make sure you really WANT AND NEED to do these things to maintain YOUR production level and goals.
It’s great to be BUSY…but is your “BUSY” GETTING YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? If not, we’ll find a way to get you there!!!
And now for the way I’ve achieved my Commitment Groove…The Macomber Method…
At RWA Nationals in Reno (whatever year that was), Debbie Macomber placed orange cards at each of our luncheon plates and told us to write down Five Goals for our writing-for-publication journey.
She then told us, and I’m paraphrasing, to “Act As If” we’d achieved those goals while we were going for the gusto of making them our reality. (Note: I wrote out another card with the “Act As If” on it too!)
She told us to put the card(s) in our purses (or man bags…LOL!…I’m sure she meant man bags too) so we’d see them frequently and check-in with our progress and/or re-commit ourselves to those goals when the going got tougher (…and she also told us no matter where we were in our career path, it would get tougher…never easier…).
I still have the cards in my purse…and no matter what purse I’m carrying for
whatever event (I even squeeze them into my evening bags for formal
events)…the cards are always there…as dog-eared and messed-up as they now are.
As of July 2010, I’d achieved my first two goals on those cards…I’d gotten my agent and finished another book (so I had three complete manuscripts ready to go…plus the other seven that were stuffed in a box in the basement, along with about 20 short stories).
My next goal on the cards was to make PAN…then it was onto goals four and five (which included bestseller lists)…etc…and then I thought I’d do a new card with five more goals on it…and probably frame card one.
Well…in August of 2011, so fast forward a year, I framed card one with just
the first two goals achieved.
Why?
Because the rest of the goals – like making RWA’s PAN (Published Author’s
Network) and making one or two bestseller lists – didn’t matter anymore!
I’d gone the Indie Epub Route.
I’d quit RWA.
And I’d now sold more books – 5,000 at that point…approaching 20,000 now - than those remaining goals would ever have gotten me!!!
Plus, I’d made a goal for hitting three bestseller lists, and I’d now hit over 50 bestseller lists and hit ‘em over 300 times!!!
So cheers to the old orange card…and in with the new one, reflecting my Indie Epub Goals!!!
And speaking of my new orange card, which included a goal of 20,000 sales, which I thought I could do in the next six months, I’ll have achieved that next goal in just a little over two months past my framing of that original card!!!
Now…my new orange card is all about getting to know my tens of thousands of readers! And keepin’ ‘em happy with great books for great prices!!!
That’s how I’m traveling my writing-for-publication road…and why I’m getting up so damn early every day and typing new pages ’til my fingers and my brain hurts.
It’s Your Turn, WG2E-Land: How ’bout u? What will your Macomber Cards say?
The Best of The WG2E It’s Time To Commit To Yourself & Your Goals Wishes — D. D. Scott
P.S. Bring-on the orange cards!!! (or whatever color you and your muses prefer)
Another fab post DD, and TOTALLY makes me hang my head in shame – again! Your commitment is totally obvious from your following, list of books and diversity in the range. Your new orange card can be erm, world domination!
Well done!
Here in WG2E-Land you never ever have to worry about “hangin’ your head in shame”, Saffi!
At The WG2E it’s all about helping each other succeed and sharing all the tips and tricks we use to get there!
Oooo…”World Domination”…that sounds like it would need its very own orange card! LOL!
Wonderful post, D.D.!!! You’ve got that “groove” going & a wonderful work ethic,too, so just keep doing it! You’ve figured out what works best for YOU, & each one has to do the same….what works best for him/her. Best wishes to you always…….keep going for the gusto!!!!
I luuuvvv what you said right here, Jeanne:
“You’ve figured out what works best for YOU, & each one has to do the same….what works best for him/her.”
That is totally it…in a gigantic nutshell…we’ve each got to take all this superfab scoop and try it out…see what works for us and what doesn’t too then go for the gusto!
Yahoo! You are my indie role model DD! Love this post- and all the other posts from all the fab writers- you all are inspirations to me. Thank you:)
Lois Lavrisa
U betchya, Lois!
Nothin’ beats writers helping writers reach readers and inspiring each other along the way!!!
Now that I am writing full-time, due to being made redundant last year, I am trying to be more committed to my writing. Esp as I am now going down the inde epub route. I have just epub’d my first ebook via Smashwords, The Railway Angel, and started to promote it on line according to Smashwords guide. Already started working on the next ebook, which I plan to self-pub next Feb for our Valentine’s Day. I have already completed one card, and that was to publish my first ebook by end of October. Now have to put it out on Kindle next.
U Go, Girl!
And I luuuvvv your “one card at a time” approach! Pretty soon, you’ll be amazed at all you’ve accomplished as those cards begin to add up and synergize each other!
Well done, Julie!!!
It all goes back to the Law of Attraction. Debbie, DD, and I are putting the positive energy and thoughts out to the Universe and attracting what comes to us. Mike Dooley once said, “go ahead, put your hands out and wrap them around the steering wheel of your new car. Smell the new car smell….” He encourages you to visualize what it would feel like, taste like, sound like etc…when you achieve your goals. I do this every day with everything I do and every relationship I have. Using the Law of Attraction is no different then what Debbie says. It works:)
It does work, Super T!
Debbie’s orange cards are indeed a form of Visualization…and that technique sooo works for me (and my muses too)!
Whether in the form of a collage board for my next book or my Macomber Method Orange Cards, it’s all about visualizing your goals then goin’ for the gusto of achieving them!!!
Thanks for reminding us of how long and hard you’ve worked to achieve your goals. Often times, authors new to Indie publishing see numbers like yours and think you’ve had it easy or you’ve had a lucky break or two. Luck is huge in this business, but most lucky breaks come as a result of authors putting themselves in the position to succeed–and that takes a long time and a lot of hard work.
The best advice you give, D.D., is to keep a positive attitude and to keep working toward your goals. Thanks for sharing your story and for keeping us positive!
You nailed it right here, Christy:
“…most lucky breaks come as a result of authors putting themselves in the position to succeed–and that takes a long time and a lot of hard work. ”
I totally believe you’ve got to work your butt off to make your own luck…or as I like to say too, you’ve got to create all your own stars and toss ‘em up into the sky, before those magical bright spots can align!!!
I’m getting out my orange cards today, D.D. I even have them here at home and waiting to have my future and my destiny written down. Thanks for the motivational tip!
I’ve always been a goal setter and “acting as if” has been an integral part of every success I’ve enjoyed in life, so I am totally behind the idea of creating your own reality through positive thought, speech and visualization. I needed a reminder to do this again when it comes to my writing life, so thanks for the boost. Now I just need to figure out exactly what those goals are, because being specific is soooo important when it comes to goal setting.
Being new to Indie-publishing, I wasn’t sure how to set those goals realistically. Now that I’ve been following others on the journey, I have a much better idea of the possibilities and am excited to see where it all takes me.
You are sooo spot-on, PJ, that our new Indie Epub Journey does indeed change our writing-for-publication goals.
Actually, for the first time now, we, as writers, can set goals that we actually can control as far as the achieving of them! How superfab fun and inspiring is that?!
Thanks DD. Your story gives me hope for my indie pub future.
The Indie Epub Journey is full of hope, Julie…and hope, that with a ton of work, has superfab chances of becoming your reality!
U Go, Girl!!!
D.D., that’s fantastic advice. We need to have confidence and to believe in our ability — and acting as if we’re already there should do the trick! I too have written loads on unpublished novels and I kept going because I never allowed myself to believe there was any alternative BUT to ‘make it’. And every day I reminded myself how much I enjoy writing, too. I think it’s important to keep the joy front and centre.
Exactly this, Talli:
“…every day I remind myself how much I enjoy writing, too. I think it’s important to keep the joy front and centre.”
And I think, thanks to our Indie Epub Journey, our joy derived from writing increases exponentially because we can clearly make every goal we set now that we’re in charge of our own destiny!!!
Great post from the Muse therapy diva!
Your book has so many gems in it. Luuv your Macomber Method advice. My list is on hot pink paper, a shade that wakes up my muses. Thanks for the shot of inspiration.
And congrats on hitting the 20,000 mark and completing another card!
Thanks sooo much, Alicia!
And nothing makes my muses dance more than seeing y’all create your own “orange (or hot pink…LOL!) cards” and achieve your dreams too!
Wow! I feel so honored to be the inpiration for this post! When I saw the title in my email this morning, I was like, “hey, we just talked about that!” LOL
Thank you for it! And for always reminding me to not give up. I can’t tell you how much knowing that you’ve raised your mug to me keeps me going, especially on bad days.
After reading this post, I have made me “Act as If” card and will be keeping it close and referring to it often!
Thanks DD!!!
U betchya, Sarah!
When I saw your questions and comments that day, I thought, “aha…I know just how to help y’all with this little bump in our Indie Epub Yellow Brick Roads to Publishing Oz”!
Great, great post DD! I happen to be one of those writers that actually produces more when they have they have a full time job. (Of course it helps that my son is all grown up) I don’t know if its because time is more precious or if working with numbers all day makes me want to play with words. In fact my tag line in my author bio is…. Mild manner accountant by day and romance writer by night.
My plan for the first half of 2012 is complete a novella Go For It and the story for Martini Madness. And get better at promotion!
U Go, Liz!
Atta Girl!!!
Make your plan then go for the gusto of making it your reality!!!
I really enjoyed your post today, D.D.! And I love Debbie Macomber. I’m in the middle of reading one of her books right now.
The orange cards are an inspired idea, and I’m going to get on that right away!
Cheers to the “orange cards”, Debra, and to Debbie Macomber too! I luuuvvv her!
D.D., I was there in Reno too. It was my first RWA National and to say I was overwhelmed is a vast understatement. Somewhere I have that little card, but it doesn’t matter because those are no longer my goals. I think getting a RITA was in there somewhere. Until RWA joins the here and now, I’ll never be eligible. And that is okay. Awards mean nothing if you aren’t reaching the readers.
Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of writers asking “how do I write more? how do I find the time?” At first, I was just like, “you find it if you want to.” Then I changed that thought. Just as everyone writes differently, we all have different speeds. So, writer A doesn’t need to write as fast as writer B, writer A just needs to keep improving her speed just like she is improving her writing itself. Getting faster than you were before is just another tool in the toolbox.
I think you’re absolutely right here, Jill!
The key is to find what works for YOU and your muses too!
That’s the beauty of The Macomber Method “orange cards”…those cards work as tools to help you visualize what “doing what works for you” can achieve “for you”.
It totally doesn’t matter what works for me, or Super T or Super T-2 or Super Lee or any of us here at The WG2E…what matters is how you take the tips we’re treatin’ ya to and make ‘em work FOR YOU! Or…say nope, that one doesn’t work for me, and move on to the next one.
I love your Muse Therapy tips and your energy, DD! Although I write full time, I still don’t find the time to do half that you do. Still,maybe that’s because my Wonder Woman duties take over sometimes. We’re absolutely in charge of our own destiny, and that’s the wonderful thing
Being Wonder Woman must be exhausting, Sibel! LOL! Probably makes you drink a ton more wine too!!! You know, just to keep your heart healthy for all that action-packed adventure!!!
LMAO! You’re a hoot!!!
And just like Wonder Woman…and how ’bout The Bionic Woman…I luuuvvved her too…anyhoo…we’re indeed in charge of our own destiny, and ohhh yeahhh…how “Wonder”ful is that?!
My biggest problem is figuring out how to write and be on social media 24/7. I’ve spent the last two months working on revisions on two books and a series of guest blogs and interviews, which means less time on Twitter and Facebook and Google+.
So my Klout rating went down 12 points. Which apparently means I’m a terrible person. We’re being told to spend at least 4 hours a day on social media, and if you have a day job and a family, that means writing has to take the place of luxuries like sleeping, eating and bathing. Obviously some people have more energy (and faster internet connections) than others, but I worry that we’re all asked to be superheroes and writing has become secondary.
Who’s telling you to spend four hours per day on Social Media?!
The amount of time doesn’t matter…it’s how you spend the time you have…in other words, it’s coming up with superfab cool schticks to keep your peeps checkin’ in with ya each day!
For example, I do my morning coffee toasts, and many times Happy Hour toasts too, plus post various Bitchy Signs regularly and do shout-outs and thanks yous to peeps. That’s it! Plus, my comments here on The WG2E…all told about one hour, maybe a tad over per day! And that’s spread out all day long.
I write and work my publishing empire full-time and don’t spend 4 hours per day on social media! If I did that, I’d never get any writing done!!!
No worries, Anne, I think that entire suggested time crap is just that…total crap! LOL!
That said, I bet if we added up all the time we’re online each day, it would come close to the 4 hours, but not just on Social Media outlets…
Just my two cents…
Thanks, D.D.
Great Post. About to tweet it!