Sometimes as writers, we have to wait on others to progress with our current works in progress. When you are waiting for the copy edits from your traditional publisher, for example, is one instance of this. We play the waiting game when we send in submissions, anticipate our advance reading copies, or expect our edits to come any day. It’s part of the game. What you need to do during this time of inactivity is to either work on your next project or focus on marketing strategies.
As part of my goals for this year as mentioned in an earlier post, I plan to have five releases. Two of these objectives have been met. Silver Serenade came out in a revised ebook edition and Died Blonde made a revised paperback debut. What about the rest?
I’m waiting on my developmental editor for Trimmed to Death, the next Bad Hair Day mystery.
I’m waiting on my narrator for the audiobook edition of Body Wave.
I’m waiting on my cover artist for the expanded second edition of Writing the Cozy Mystery.
Am I planning a marketing campaign for any of these projects or working on the next creative endeavor in the meantime? Sorry…but no. This break comes at a good time. Our daughter is getting married. My spare moments are taken up with researching bridal shower venues and mother-of-the-bride dresses. This is a big reason why you’re not hearing from me so much on this blog at present. If you like, I can discuss the restaurants we’ve visited and the beautiful dresses I’m seeing, but it’s not writing advice. It is life experience. Depends on which journey you want to read about here.
I’m not totally lazing about, however. I have been preparing three PowerPoint presentations for upcoming events. See my Appearances page if you wish to know where I’ll be speaking. And I’m revising Keeper of the Rings, an earlier science fiction romance. So I am still being productive even if it’s not on the three projects above.
Things are bound to get more intense as the nuptials get closer, so I might have to put off one of my planned releases until later in the year. A book release requires a lot of effort if you mean to send out review copies, write blogs for blog tours, plan launch parties, and more. And all of these three projects will require special attention in that way. So their releases will have to be spaced out accordingly.
What do you work on while you’re in a holding pattern for your current project?
So true. The way my publisher does things, I won’t know for at least a year if my series will be extended so I’m going back to finishing the third book in my children’s trilogy.
For at least a year? That’s a long time. You could always write the book and self publish it if your publisher turns it down.
I know. The second book in the series will be out in Sept, and then they’ll want to see how that book does. I agree that it’s a long time between books 2 and 3. I’ve written the outline for the third book.
It’s still hard to wait on a response like that but it is how the game is played.
Hi Nancy,
I always have several projects in the works, so when I’m stuck on one, or waiting on another, there’s always revising and editing that need to be done.
Five releases this year! I’m impressed!
Kathleen Kaska author of the Sydney Lockhart and Kate Caraway Mystery Series http://www.kathleenkaska.com http://www.bookgorilla.com/author/B001K88UMQ/kathleen-kaska/kcc
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Out of those five releases, only one of them is a new, original story. The rest are reissues, a second edition, and an audiobook. But yes, you are right. There is always editing and revising on one project or another.
I just signed with a new publisher (yay!) who will be editing all three prior books for re-release and the fourth wip. I’ll be doing a lot of work on those books when he gets to them–estimated to be four months from now for the first one. I always have something I can do after I write in the morning. Afternoons are usually for promotion for my blog or my books. I try to enter a contest every month (a new goal this year) and contest research can be intensive.
Then there’s real-life.
You ARE busy! Congrats on the new book contract! You’ll have lots to do for sure. Real life. What’s that?
I spent most of 2017 reading contest entries and only published one novella. However, I did get audiobooks out there, and am finally working on a new novel. There’s always something to do .. blog posts, research, marketing (ugh), social media, website updates …
Yes, it’s relentless, isn’t it? Without the writing, we could still be busy full-time managing our social media and backlist titles.