While the title to this week's post poses an answer, the truth is, "how do I take time off?" is a difficult question for me to answer. To begin with, I don't know how. It's not that I am some super driven workaholic who can't stop (although I have to admit I am driven), it's how do I stop and keep things afloat?
Like many of you, I am a writer. I am a full time writer, which means writing is how I earn my living. I do not have a side job. I do not teach or consult. My days are spent writing and marketing my work. And for me, that is a full time job. This year two of my novels (Boyfriend From Hell and Earth Angel) reached the top 10 on the Amazon ebook Best Seller list for Children's & YA books. They did not arrive there by happenstance. It took a lot of marketing to get my books there. But I have noticed that I spend far less time reading than I once did. The time I once spent reading, I now spend writing and marketing.
But the time has come for me to take a much needed break. I've been feeling the burnout coming for some time. And so I plan to take a week off. A week of R&R. A week where I will try not to tweet, or Facebook or blog. A week where I will recharge my batteries, hopefully for another year. But here's the thing--I feel that as soon as I stop, my sales will stop. This week I have cut down on my marketing, and already my sales have begun to slip. So instead of me spending the week resting, I will spend the week worrying. So, I have a question for you: how do you find the time to take a break without worrying that when the break is over your career will be over, too? I'd love to hear any and everybody's thoughts on this. In this new digital age, it is getting harder and harder to get away from it all. Please tell me how, or if, you do it.
For those of you in the Victorville CA area tomorrow, Thursday May 10th, I will be speaking and reading at Victor Valley College at 5pm. The students in the writing program have read Boyfriend From Hell as an assignment, and I hear they will have lots of questions for me. Five other authors will also participate. The event is open to the public.
Peace.
I will gladly answer how I manage it.
ReplyDelete- Now I am only a writer in my freetime, and not even published, but being on a site called 'wattpad.com' where it's a user generated site, where your ranking will go down, if you do not work for it. Either by writing, or spending time getting your work known.
What works the best for me, is to believe in myself. You are a truly amazing writer, I've read 'Boyfriend from hell' even in the cold plaze known as Denmark.
- By making this post, you let your fans and followers (like me) know you worries, and who am I to just ignore your plead? I couldn't do that even if I wanted to.
You will probably feel in the week you take of, that you want to just check, facebook, twitter etc. and my suggest would be, do it. Set a time of day, in your vacation where you allow yourself, to talk with your fans and followers, to let us know if you've read a good book. Something along those lines.
And if you one day just don't feel like it, then don't. just, only put one or two hours, for your 'work' and leave it be.
Any writer can agree with me, that sometimes the 24 hours of a day seems to little. But out of the 24 hours a day, in seven days. if you just let yourself check, to ease your own worries, for just seven hours in total that hole week, you will be able to sleep well, and rest.
- That's my advice at least.
Hi E
ReplyDeleteI think this is good advice. You will probably feel in the week you take of, that you want to just check, facebook, twitter etc. and my suggest would be, do it. Set a time of day, in your vacation where you allow yourself, to talk with your fans and followers, to let us know if you've read a good book. Something along those lines.
I wish you well on your holiday - please take one. And if it makes you feel any better post the dates you're going away, and I promise to buy, read and review one of your books while you are having time out.
Gwynneth
http://todayinshenaya.blogspot.com