Since I had to hop up and answer a telemarketing phone call, my writing is interrupted. I might was well take this opportunity to drop this little comment into my blog.
I can’t understand how other writers can be bubbly and personable every day on Twitter and Facebook and whatever other social networking fad is trending today, and at the same time, get their writing done. For the past month I’ve been deep into a new first draft novel, and my social interactions have been suffering. My priorities put the new writing first, and the marketing aspects of the job second. That may be a bad thing.
Recently, when the iPad was announced, I blogged about it here and here, just because it was current and the thoughts were on my mind. Guess what happened. People read them. They were quoted. People argued.
My sales of e-books jumped during the time those blog posts were being read. And now, when I’m being a good writer, hiding away in seclusion and creating new words, the sales have dropped back to normal. Although I can’t prove the sales came about because of the blog entries, the numbers do suggest it.
So, marketing suggests that I should spend more time writing blogs. While I’m at it, make them controversial and argumentative. Become a quotable name.
Ha. That’s never going to happen.
Half asleep in dreamland, I see myself telling stories in a small room with maybe a dozen people, sharing adventures. That’s what appeals to me. And to do that, I’ll have to spend the time alone creating those adventures, even if the social media time suffers for it.
Oh, well. That’s all the time I have for this entry. Later.
Personally I'll never understand how Mercedes Lackey has time to play City of Heroes religiously, write City of Heroes fanfic, and still turn out novel after novel after novel. But I know from experience she does this as I've played CoH and co-written CoH fanfic with her, and read the novels.
I suspect it's simply a matter of budgeting your time. (And, in Ms. Lackey's case, maintaining a nocturnal lifestyle might help.)
I see so many other writers who manage it. I could make a list of excuses why I don't, but that would take time to compose the list. I do know all this pesky publishing stuff takes far too much effort.