Five Ways To Manage Your Writing Life

By Fran Lee Strickland @FranLStrickland

It’s the beginning of another new year and as writers we want to make the most of our minutes, hours and days! Here are what I consider the basics of time management.

1. Prioritize

2. Plan

3. Set a timer

4. Develop an accountability method

5. Review

Prioritize. As Christian writers, we should prioritize in the following order: God, Family, Writing, and Play. On a blank sheet of paper, write down in a column the major activities of your week.

Then add four more columns, one for each of the four major categories listed. Place the number of hours  per week spent on each activity in the appropriate column.

How much time do you have in a week?

Let’s figure it out. If you allow 8 hours of sleep per night, that’s fifty-six hours per week. If you work at a full time job other than writing, that’s forty hours per week. What you have left is seventy-nine (79) hours to prioritize. You can adjust this according to your actual sleep and work time.

A priority chart like the one shown will summarize the time spent in each category, and may prompt you to reduce hours in some areas and dedicate more in others. The percentages are calculated by dividing the total number of hours in each category by the overall total number of hours (in this case 79).

Plan. Once you prioritize the number of hours assigned to each category, it is time to plan the details of the activities. From the chart I see that I have sixteen hours dedicated to writing this week. I can choose to split the 10 hours into 5 days of writing, 2 hours for each day. Or I can plan to write two days a week, 5 hours each day. The other writing hours are for research, blog posts and social media.
 

Always plan flexible hours into your week for unexpected events.
 

Two hours a week for social media is not much at all, but the only way I can allot more time toward it in my busy schedule is if I utilize some of the Flexible hours from my Priority Chart. Always plan flexible hours into your week as a cushion for unexpected events. If unexpected events do not eat up all the flexible hours that week, then more hours will be available to utilize for social media, or research or whatever may need a little more attention. If nothing else, then you can use flexible hours to take a nap!
 

Set A Timer. When you sit down to write, make sure your friends and family know that you are not to be disturbed for anything other than an emergency. Set the clock and start writing. When the time is up, get up, reset the clock and move on to the next activity on your schedule. Otherwise, you might get a lot of writing done, but the children will go hungry!
 

Develop An Accountability Method. There isn’t much point in creating a time management system if you are not going to hold yourself accountable. Most of us respond well to a reward system. It might be a piece of chocolate at the end of the day if you stuck to your daily schedule or an outing to a movie if you stuck to the schedule for the whole week.
 

Review. The demands life places on you will change. Take time periodically to review your Priority Chart then factor in new activities or remove ones that are no longer a part of your life.

  

What about you?

How do you manage your week to ensure there is always time to write?

Leave a comment and share this blog with your social media friends!
 

Fran Lee Strickland

Serves as treasurer of the American Christian Fiction Writers chapter of South Carolina and is a member of Blue Ridge Writers group, near Asheville, North Carolina. Contributor to three non-fiction anthologies: Divine Moments, Christmas Moments and Spoken Moments. Near completion of first fiction suspense novel, Roots That Run Deep. Mother of Jake. Loves intrigue, chocolate and coffee! Blogs about faith and writing at http:/www.scatteringwordsandsowingseedsblogspot.com.

Holiday Book Marketing Made Easy

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

The holidays are such a busy time, with shopping and events and special time with family. The last thing you want to do is worry about marketing your books!

The good news? A successful holiday marketing plan is best put together early, leaving you to focus on what matters when the holidays actually arrive. So what should be on your list? 

Let's think like a shopper...

The Power of a Bucket List

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

This morning, I was telling a friend how proud I was that he’s taken the initiative to accomplish something he’s wanted to do for years. In his case, the accomplishments involved Invisalign and a pretty serious diet, but it made me think back to several years ago when I first created my bucket list.

The idea of a bucket list had been on my mind for a while, and I finally took the initiative when January 1^st rolled around. You want to know what was the first item I listed?

"Write a novel that's published"

How to Market a New Release

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

One of the questions I receive most often is from authors is, "How do I promote my new book?" 

Whether it be your debut release or book #5 (or #105) marketing a new release can often be daunting. 

But it doesn't have to be!

Through the months of June, July, and August, I shared all the different marketing options available to authors. And there are a lot of opportunities! But the list can be intimidating, so let me break it down into critical steps for a new release. 

Facebook Ads Demystified

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

We've discussed before how Facebook Ads have become one of my "go-to" marketing tools. I get a lot of furrowed brows when I say that, so today let's take a moment to walk through the ad set-up - especially the crucial pieces to make sure the ad:

1. is seen by your target market and
2. gives you the highest possible ROI (return on your investment).

First, let me outline a few of the particular advantages of Facebook advertising:

My Book Marketing "Ah-ha!"

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

My Big "Ah-ha!"

Over the past few months, I've been under several intense writing deadlines, and had to step back from my regular book marketing schedule. I still kept up a few high-return advertising activities (see what those are at THIS POST), but my focus was mostly on writing to meet deadlines.

During this time, I was able release one book each month for four out of five months. So many of us have heard that nothing markets your books like producing more books, however I've recently learned the hard way that statement isn't quite true - at least for me. Even with so many new books being released over the last five months, my sales have steadily declined. Not enough to create widespread panic, but enough for me to realize the truth of the following equation:

Dollars & Sense for Writers—Guidelines on Where and How to Spend Your Money—Part Four

This is an ongoing series designed to give writers guidelines on where & when to spend your money. 


If you missed the first three posts in the series you can find them here:

• Part One: Which Organizations Should I Join & Why

• Part Two: Which Books Should I Own and Which Should I get at the Library—and What About Magazines, are They Still Relevant?

• Part Three:  How to Evaluate Writing Workshops & Classes

Writing Conferences—When Am I Ready for One & Which One Should I choose

I have my favorites, of course! But just because they’re my favorites doesn’t mean they are the best choice for YOU. I’ve tried to break it all down and give you some things to consider so you can make an informed decision.

The first thing you should consider is your experience level. You need to look at where you are with your writing, that will be the biggest factor in your decision. As you look at the categories realize that your experience may overlap.

Beginner

• Never submitted anything for publication.
• Hasn’t told many people he writes.
• Has submitted a couple of things, but nothing published.

Advanced Beginner

• Has several rejection letters and a couple of acceptances.
• Is a member of a local or online writing group.
• Regularly reads articles or books about writing.

Intermediate

• Has attended a writers event (either a workshop, conference or online class).
• Has an idea of where he wants to go with his writing.
• Has been paid for his writing.

Advanced

• Spends time each day working at the craft of writing and has an income derived from writing.
• Has definite goals and aspirations for his writing.

Once you know which group you fall into, it’s easier to evaluate each individual event. There are 2 reasons to attend a writers event.

• To learn more about the craft of writing
.
• To network with professionals within the writing world
.

Here’s a general breakdown of what is usually offered at each kind of event.

These events vary slightly, so the following information is generalized. You should read all brochures and websites carefully to know what to expect.

Large, National Writing Conference

Expect lots of classes for a wide variety of writers - from beginner to advanced.

• Continuing Classes – these are classes that last for more than one class period and concentrate on one subject. Even though they are continuing, they rarely provide advanced information on a given subject.

• Workshops – these are classes that give an introduction to a concept (like dialogue, plot or setting).

• Breakouts or Panels – these are groups of professionals giving instruction on a given subject. The information here is usually very basic.

• Appointments with Faculty – most large conferences include a private appointment with a member of the faculty. This is where you would pitch a book or article idea to an editor. It can also be valuable to let a seasoned author look at your writing and give one-on-one feedback.

Regional or Local Writing Conference

These tend to have more classes for the beginner and advanced beginner writer, although there are exceptions. Depending on the length of time, the conference will follow the same basic setup as a national conference.

Workshop or Seminar

Many of these are very specific in what they offer. They aren’t for a large number of writers and generally target the intermediate or advanced writer.

The important thing to remember is that it’s never a good idea to write in a vacuum. I have always tried to attend one large conference a year—as a student—to expose myself to the writing industry, both for networking and education. I also try to attend at least one focused workshop or seminar each year I and I try to keep my eyes open for online writing courses and take at least two a year.

Let's share our experiences with specific conferences and events. Leave comments about ones you've attended and how they've helped your writing journey.

Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference and the Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at Guideposts. Com, Social Media Director for SouthernWriters Magazine and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES.