It's one thing to have your family and friends support while diving into the journey of wanting to be a novelist but it's something completely different to have a group of friends that are writers as well. Or at least people who are in the industry. It's these people who completely understand everything that you are going through. They know what it's like to be on deadline for a month or longer. What it's like to have your friends question why you stop going to hang out when you're not even getting paid for your 'hobby'.
Since going to RT13 I hadn't fully understood what it meant to have that type of support. It's so encouraging to cheer on your friends and read their works. The encouragement and motivation that you get not only from them cheering you on but from seeing their success is something that I've personally have never felt before when it comes to writing. And it's both amazing and terrifying at the same time.
You have all these thoughts of, are they right? Am I really that good of a writer as they say I am? Or are they just saying that cause they don't want to hurt my feelings? Then you see them going on an accelerated path than you are, you wonder if you're doing it right.
Let me tell you what I have to tell myself every single day. Screw everyone else. Keep the positive people close and lock out the naysayers. The pace and path you are taking to being a published is yours alone. No one person in this industry does things the same way. Timings are always different. Writing styles are different. And how people published is different. What works for one person doesn't work for another. Everyone is talented at different things and at different levels. Jealously will happen. It's normal, but don't let it fuel you to hate what something you love or make you run from your goals.
Me? I'm following the path that I feels right for me is that of a hybrid author. That is both traditional publishing and self publishing. I will be self publishing my work in ebook format as a self published author. I will continue doing this hopefully throughout my entire career. Following that I'm hoping to get a traditional publisher -- indie, small press, or NY publisher -- to make my work into print.
Why don't I print my books myself? Well here is the honest answer. I can't afford it. Case and point. Right now in my life I am financially responsible for myself. I do not have a husband or spouse to fall back upon to help my everyday life financially as I invest into my writing career. Even if I did, I'm not 100% I would print on my own. Don't get me wrong this doesn't mean that I wont do this eventually on my own, but for now it's just not for me.
After having written down my business plan/game plan for the next couple books I've set goals I think I can reach. Personally I wish I had more time to dedicate to writing and reading, but I can't. I've got a full time job to pay my bills and any other free time I dedicated as much to it to my writing. With the schedule I've penned down, I think I can keep to. The base of this plan is at least one book out a year. That's my goal.
With two series that I'd like to dive into with several stand alone books it's about marketing to figure out when and what order to have the books come out. It's not about which my muse wants to work on for that moment. If that were the case I'd be all over the place any my readers would be confused and might have to wait years for the following book in a a certain series as the other gets more attention. Personally I don't want that to happen. I want both my series to get enough attention from me. And with that the game plan of timing everything.
Now is my game plan/path set in stone? Hell no! Shit happens and I'm fine with moving things around as long as I reach my goal in the end. And that right now is to release one book a year. That is obtainable. Even with the costs of hiring editor what have NY publishing house experience and cover artists that are able to deliver the best cover art for my book. If I can do more then awesome. I will.
Personally it's not about making millions of dollars, as nice as it would be. It's able following my passion, making friends who are like minded and hopefully having people who enjoy my work to keep reading it. Even better would to be able to quit the day job in accounting and write full time so that I can get more and more work out their.
The challenge of being self published intrigues me with the business aspect having to be tackled on top of creative of developing the best product as possible. Cause in the end a novel is a product that you are delivering to the consumer aka the reader. It's going to take a lot of work and I'm willing.
Now if only my focus issues would go away I'd be a freaking machine. But guess what I'm not. I not always the fastest writer and I'm a slow self editor. I know my faults. But here's the big thing....I'm not letting them hold me back or stop me. Over time I will get faster and better. The only way to improve anything is by doing it more. Writing is something that I hope to never have to give up. It's now apart of me that I will fight to keep in my life.
With my cheering section and fellow writers who are the few people that get me I'm going to make my hybrid writing career happen. And I'm glad to have you with me along the way.
As with everything else in life there will be ups and downs with lots of doubts along the way. Just know that you can do anything that you put your mind to and to never compare yourself to others. I'm one of a kind and don't want to be like everyone else. Now, I've got some edits to do in hope to make my first release on time....which with hopes will be this Winter 2013. Oh, to those who join me on this journey with me, thank you. And I hope to present you with something this winter that you will love as much as I do.
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