My goal is to be able to make a sizable income off of the books I write. After a ton of reading and listening to podcasts, I learned that it is possible, but it’s a lot of work to get going. I know I’ve been blabbing about this book that I had written for a while now and to show that I’m more action than talk, I’ll list the ways in which I’ve been staying productive on the path to my goal. I’ll also share just how far I am in the process of getting published!

Tasks of an Author

1. Work – The day job. As someone who’s trying to start a career in being a self-published writer, this is every bit as important as it is distracting. On one hand, you need the steady cash flow to bankroll things like professional editing, proofreading, book cover, etc. On the other hand, when you come home from a full day’s work, you just want to crash, watch TV, and go to sleep. But I don’t have that luxury. I know you’re going to love my first novel and I want you to have the option of getting what comes next. That means I have to write another book. The good thing is I love writing, so it doesn’t cause me too much pain to switch gears and work even more at the end of the day.
2. Social Media – If you follow me, it may look like fun and games, but trust me, it’s not as easy as it seems. It’s all part of building an author platform; a base of followers to which you’re able to advertise your work. Now, I don’t really advertise that much on social media, nor do I plan to, but it is an important part of any brand strategy to be in front of as many eyes as possible. After years of tinkering, I’ve decided on three channels that are my main focus: Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat. Any more than that and my head would explode.
3. Blogging – I’ve rededicated myself to a weekly post and so far so good. This involves one day of pounding out an article, finding an appropriate photo, then blasting it out to my social media channels once it’s published.
4. Email Campaign – You’ve certainly seen it! How could you miss the banner, the link on the nav bar, the sidebar badge, or the popup all asking you to sign up? The emails are something I only send out twice a month (so it won’t get spammy), but sometimes figuring out what to say is taxing. Luckily, I’m never short on words.
5. Book Production – Typesetting, formatting an ebook, getting a book cover together – ugh! It’s my first time doing any of this and it’s a lot! Luckily, I have friends who are able to help me through, otherwise I would be screwed.
6. Writing – Oh yeah, this writing thing. Trying to fit this in while managing everything else is insane, but I’m up for the challenge. Once I get running on all cylinders, I’ll get back to pounding out 1,000 words / day.

That’s just a small taste of what I have to do to move closer to my dream, but it’s all adding up.

Where I Am Now

Right now, I’m still in the process of getting my book cover completed, and I had to send out my book to get the print version to look just right on the page. So, trust me. It’s coming! I’m hoping to have it available by the end of this year. No – I will have it available by the end of this year! Follow me, subscribe, and stay tuned. And with all this work on my plate, pray for me!