Finding Balance

The business and creative sides of writing can feel like being on a teeter-totter. How do you manage to keep a balance? 

Brenda here.

When a writer is perfecting their first novel and dreaming of finding a publisher, they may be surprised to discover that writing the book is the easiest (albeit not easy) part. Once a work hits the shelves, the publicity and marketing work begins, and it can consume a lot of time. Finding the proper balance takes a bit of planning.

That said, I'm not convinced that I've achieved the proper balance! I tend to focus on the writing if I have a streak going or the editing if I'm immersed in that. I do a lot of marketing prep work leading up to a book's release, but this peters out the longer the book is in circulation. I always feel as if I'm not doing enough.

For example, When Last Seen, second in the Hunter and Tate mystery series came out April 1st of this year. I've all but finished trying to get reviews and media, although an article in my local paper came out last week. I've luckily been approached by different bookstores in my city since its release to do signings this time around, and have one scheduled in two weeks. Book clubs have also been contacting me and I'm dropping in on a new one this week. All this to say, I remain open to opportunities to promote my books, but I've moved on to writing the third book in the series and this will take up more and more of my time in the upcoming months. Marketing will have to chug along on its own steam :-) Happily, my books are getting better known and word of mouth is helping immensely.

I have a personal blog where I write about my writing week and I used to post every Saturday. Now, I take the summers off, stopping in April and starting up again in September. This is a good way to let people know what I'm up to and to report on events, but it takes up a lot of time. Again, I'm working to keep a balance between keeping readers interested and not burning myself out. The summer break gives me time to refresh and focus on my writing.

So, my answer to this week's question boils down to pockets of marketing with bigger pockets of writing and editing over the year. The balance is continually shifting. I'm always open to publicity opportunities but have become selective about what and when. Ultimately, there is no magic formula; marketing often involves throwing out feelers and waiting to see what unfolds. It's a bit like life really - juggling commitments and focusing on what needs doing before moving on to the next pressing task. It takes persistence, flexibility and a willingness to adjust priorities. At its best, writing and marketing goals work in sync without undue pressure in either camp.

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