mood: jumpy
pandora/ipod: "loser" by radiohead
Seanchai
YARebels
The Enchanted Inkpot
The Apocalypsies
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads (thanks, Mike)
What do these things have in common?
They're all trying to kill me.
When I signed with my Rockstar agent back in December 2008, I took two very important steps: I converted my opera singer website to an author website, and I started a blog. At first, there was an exhilaration to it. I had so much to say! So much to share! So much to learn! I wanted to post EVERY SINGLE DAY! And I kept lists of possible blog topics so I wouldn't forget my brilliant, brilliant ideas.
Fast forward a year and a half. *yawn*
Don't get me wrong - I love blogging. Come on, what about me DOESN'T strike you as someone who likes to hear the sound of her own voice? And the idea of creating your own platform as a writer, and cultivating your own following, well, it's something we all have to contemplate at some point in time.
So one blog turned into a blog and Twitter, then a blog and Twitter and a group blog, then a blog and Twitter and a group blog and a group vlog, and soon it's going to be a blog and Twitter and TWO group blogs and a group vlog. Oh, and a Facebook fan page that still makes me vaguely sick to my stomach when I think about it. And let's not forget that I have a 40 hour a week day job, oh and the circus...
Add some online writer support groups and the occasional contest where I'll volunteer as a guest judge and suddenly.... where did all my writing time go????
The great Catch-22: when does your self-promotion and marketing begin to take away from you, the writer? When do you have to shut down one facet of your life in order to make room for others? When do you say NO?
To be honest, I'm not sure. I've always had a wretched time saying no (I call it the Ado Annie Complex...) Although last summer during the circus run, I did ZERO writing and practically no blog posts, so perhaps that was me self-identifying my breaking point?
So who else has this problem? Any good coping mechanisms? Time management skills I'm missing? Cheap trucker speed I should be taking? (Kidding...kidding...totally mostly kidding...)
This is why I feel that I could use a clone.
ReplyDeleteGreat points here, all around. I keep a pretty regular blog schedule, but I took the summer off from it. All that other stuff you have going on though re: social networking? *bows down* That's a lot to keep up with!
ReplyDeleteWait, Jess. You don't already HAVE a clone? THEN WHO IS THIS SITTING NEXT TO ME?????
ReplyDelete:)
sorry! no advice here, maybe limit your time. i'm not sure how twitter works, but maybe you could only go on it at a certain time of day... and the same for blogging, vlogging, etc. give it an alloted amount of time- and cut yourself off when it elapses. everyone understands being buisy. no one would judge you for having to skip a post, or not replying to a comment... or maybe i'm totally wrong about all that... i'm often wrong! :)
ReplyDeletegood luck!
btw. ado annie complex- LOL!
I've been better at limiting my commitments, but yeah, the pressure to keep doing more and more is intense. I've pretty much settled on an approach, though - if I feel like things are getting out of hand, I axe something entirely. So I left the Inkies, and the Mixed-up Files, and I bloodily murdered by Goodreads account. I do wonder if I've been screwing the pooch in small but significant ways, but hell, I wonder that about everything. ;)
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Gretchen. And I'm in awe of all that you do. I had to significantly cut my online/social networking time in order to keep my work progressing. There were too many distractions. I figure the best "platform" in the world isn't going to be worth a crap if I can't write any books to use it. Good luck with finding a balance. You are superwoman!
ReplyDeleteGoodreads. Thanks for reminding me, Mike.
ReplyDelete*flails*
You are crazy good at keeping up with it all. I've never gotten much into the facebook and twitter thing because those are the two social networks that interest me least. I always feel guilty about missing out on twitter--although I do keep up somewhat. But then I realized, it's ok, if that doesn't feel as natural for me. I just do better when I do things that feel right. I have a very touchy-feely breaking point I guess.
ReplyDeleteI hear you on all this stuff. I love it though - most of it. Some days I dont know what I would do without Twitter. That's sad, isn't it. Very sad.
ReplyDeleteBTW, "Come on, what about me DOESN'T strike you as someone who likes to hear the sound of her own voice?"
HILARIOUS.
Dude! I wrestle with this DAILY!!!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could provide some advice, but I'm struggling as well and I only have half the stuff you do.
ReplyDeleteAs for twitter and Facebook, do you already do Hootsuite? That seems to help a bit.
Good luck!
I have twitter and facebook accounts, but to be honest I never use them. Maybe one day when I have something to promote :) It's enough of a time-suck to keep up with my blog ...
ReplyDeleteTrish, that's not sad at all.
ReplyDeleteI'll say this much: having a day job that doesn't command 100% of my attention really helps. I do most of my Tweeting and FBing at the office, plus at least half of my blog posts. It helps. I also don't have rugrats at home which makes me sort of intrinsically selfish with my home time.
hi there will you be able to quit your 40 hour job now you have a deal though?
ReplyDeleteKimmy, unfortunately, no. For a variety of reasons, the most important one currently being healthcare. However, I'm going to look into going part time temporarily while I have deadlines and such. I think my boss will be okay with that. She's been ridiculously supportive thus far!
ReplyDeleteThats a shame :( I thought getting a book deal meant you didn't have to work a day job anymore. great that you can be part time tho :)
ReplyDeleteAnd soon you'll have to add school visits and book signings to your schedule... Hmmm...
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to get sucked in, but I guess at the end of the day the point is to sell books and connect with readers, so your commitments may shapeshift in the near future. :)