Monday, October 13, 2014

Finding the Zen

Today is my turn at IWSG. I hope you'll stop over for a visit. I'm discussing some ways to keep your word count up. You can add your own thoughts on how you do it.

As I look over my schedule for the next six months I feel a little, maybe a lot, overwhelmed. Lots of things going on. I would bore you with the list but it seems to get longer every day. On one hand I'm thrilled by all the good things happening. Flip side is concern that I won't be able to keep up. So I'm giving myself a pep talk.

As I work on my current WIP, I'm worried it's not of the quality I expect. I keep telling myself that self-doubt is only my inner editor at work. I need to that person to quiet down.

I've been getting a little anxious about one project that I haven't heard back on from one of my publishers. Patience, I remind myself. When I first started writing, all submissions to publishers went by snail mail. Multiple trips to the post office and lots of money involved in getting a double-spaced manuscript to an editor. So I only had to send an email and try to quell my impatience.

I've been working slowly on building my following on my author's page on Facebook. Facebook can really be a time suck and a place where you see some really irritating posts. Some people use social media to rant on and on about their political views and give the impression that if you don't agree with them you must be an idiot. I calmly un-follow them. Little bit of zen-ish behavior for me.

I'm happy to announce my latest science fiction romance, The Warrior and The Biologist is now available at all major digital book stores. As usual my publisher keeps new releases exclusive to their site for the first month. A good idea that earns more money for them and for me. In the book's first weekend out in the wide world its sales surprised me in a pleasant, zen way.

I also had the pleasure of attending a unique book signing yesterday at a local independent book store for my friend, Heather Heyford. A Taste of Chardonnay is the first book in her Napa Wine series from Kensington. Heather had an ice sculpture of a bottle of chardonnay, real wine, cheese and fruit. It was lovely.

Any thing interfering with your zen this week? What are your reasons for un-following someone on social media? Do you remember having to send submissions to editors and agents by snail mail? Have you attended a unique book signing? Do you have some wisdom on word count to share on IWSG?


16 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Now I can download from the iBookstore!
I'm not sure my latest hit the level I wanted. Not in quality as much as in scope.

Julie Flanders said...

Congratulations on your latest release! I have really neglected my author page on FB. I keep meaning to go back to it.

Christine Rains said...

Congratulations! I've already been over to IWSG. I usually unfollow when an account has been inactive for a few months.

Pat Hatt said...

Congrats, always great when sales are better than expected. Stupid Facebook I avoid, all they do there is whine it seems.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Now that's the way to do a book signing.

I have an author page that I really need to do something with.

Robin said...

As my WiP gets closer to being "done" my anxiety about The Next Step increases. I guess that is all part of it...

Jemi Fraser said...

I've unfollowed those annoying and Me Me Me people too!

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Huge congratulations, Susan. It looks like a great read. I'm adding it to my list.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I remember those snail mail days. :)

I'm not on Facebook, but I definitely need to do more on Goodreads re my Author Page. I spend most of my time on GR as a reader, not a writer.

cleemckenzie said...

I've already been at the IWSG site, so I've read and commented on your post there. As far as my zen, I'm working on the one moment at a time plan. Otherwise, I take major dives into puddles of Insecurity.

Joss said...

I've been avoiding facebook for the most part of late and never made to much effort with my author page either.
Facebook as a whole just irritates me. Bullies, that's the people I instantly un-follow. If it see someone laughing at someone else's expense over something that the person cannot help about themselves. Then I instantly get rid of the person doing the bullying. Just isn't called for.
Congrats on your latest release and I hope you are having a great week :)

The Happy Whisk said...

Good luck with the new book and by gosh, life is short so please for fudge sake, don't be so hard on yourself. You get done what you get done, and to be stressed about such things is a waste of good energy.

Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy.

Life's too short, otherwise.

mshatch said...

Oh boy. I remember sending queries and submissions by snail mail. That was hellish.

Unknown said...

whatever my current project is, I get anxious when it gets close to release. I think I'm weird that way. LOL. Or maybe not. FB takes a lot out of you and can take a lot of time. I follow a lot of authors to see whats going on in publishing, writing advice or latest releases. I also get distracted by the hot naken men photos :)

Crystal Collier said...

How awesome! I'm hoping to one day make "live" appearances. I'm so stoked that your sales were good. There's little that makes you feel so validated as an author, eh?

Chrys Fey said...

I wish you luck on everything you have to do over the next 6 months, and congratulations on "The Warrior and the Biologist". That's an interesting title! And I just liked your FB page. :)