I’m Not Lost

Sometimes I feel so lost I can’t take one more step.

I am somewhere in the new story. I realized yesterday I am losing my characters, which tells me I have written something not true, so not true that the people whose stories I am supposed to tell are turning their backs on me, and I don’t blame them. It is time to stop, go back to the beginning so I can see more clearly what my characters are trying to tell me. They want to tell me who they are and I need to listen.

The marketing and promotion of A Better Life is different now than just three weeks ago. It doesn’t have that brand-new feeling anymore. A lot of people have bought the book, for which I am forever grateful, and now I am getting some reactions and comments. I welcome them all. I am looking forward to meeting with two book clubs in the next few months and hearing comments, answering questions as best I can, and discussing the story and characters.

I am not lost forever. I am looking ahead and even though I don’t see a well-defined, clear trail ahead, that doesn’t mean I am lost. It means I can make choices and look for different ways of promoting A Better Life that make sense in my mind and heart. And it means there is a lot of room for my new cast of characters to come alive.

Balance

Every day I try to create a sense of balance in my writing life, a life that has gone beyond writing and now includes promotion. It is not always an even balance, but so far it is working pretty well, most days. It can be challenging to devote all the time and energy my new novel deserves while promoting A Better Life so it has the best chance of being successful. I am finding that these very different opportunities keep my life as a writer rich and rewarding, as long as I don’t make myself crazy.

I am attempting to write at least a thousand words a day of the new novel. My characters are beginning to open up to me more each time we are together. This phase of writing a story is the most exciting for me because it is full of so many moments of discovery.

Some days, a great deal of time is taken up with some aspect of promotion. Yesterday I spent a big chunk of the day formatting my paperback into an e-book. It wasn’t as complicated as formatting the print copy and it is now available on Amazon in both print and on Kindle.

I have a host of things to explore: writers’ conferences, a marketing course, book readings, book clubs, getting the novel into local, independent book stores, contests . . . Right now, though, I am getting back to the new story.

Who is Your Audience?

I was asked this question often while I was writing A Better Life. From friends and potential readers, it was mostly out of curiosity about what kind of book I was writing and who I thought my audience would be. I wasn’t sure; I just wanted to tell the story as well and as true as I could.

The question took on more importance when it came from potential agents as I began sending out my completed manuscript. As a first-time author, it felt a bit pretentious to say that it would appeal to a wide range of people. Agents want their authors to know their target audience. When I had to put it into a category, I said it was “Women’s Fiction,” but that never felt right. I wanted the work to speak for itself and not be restricted to a particular label.

It has been almost a month since A Better Life was published, and as of today, 90 copies have been sold. I am beyond pleased that a wide variety of people — women and men, from their 20’s to their 80’s, have purchased the book and I have had much positive feedback. I believe my audience is turning out to be people who enjoy and are moved by the story and the writing, not because they belong to a particular group, but just because they are human. I couldn’t ask for a better audience.

The Launch

The book launch for my first novel was a night of innocence and revelations and joy, of pride and congratulations and joy. Everything was perfect. IMG_1722 (1)

People asked about the story, the characters, the time it took to write the book, about where I got the idea. The conversations were easy and I signed about forty books, only forgetting a couple of names.

I chose two selections from the novel to read, a few pages from chapter two and a few from chapter five. It was the first time I read the story out loud to anyone and I felt the power behind the words more than I did when they were lying flat on the page. I looked up after the first reading and everyone looked back at me, leaning forward silently. I thought something was wrong, but found out later they were wanting and waiting for more. It was absolutely silent for a few seconds before someone clapped and there was a little nervous laughter. After I read the second time, I raised my glass in a toast to all the incredible people who came to be part of that special night and wish me well. IMG_1720 - Copy (2)

Opening Doors to Learning

The love of learning has always been part of who I am. As an educator, I tried to instill that love of learning in my students. Third graders were always eager to learn new things — multiplication, cursive, telling time, and they loved to write.

As I moved on to teaching fourth grade and then middle school, some of my students’ eagerness turned into do we have to? Like many things, if you have to, it can seem less interesting, less motivating, less stimulating. Or so I thought. I am finding I have to do many things in order to succeed as a writer, and they are no less interesting, motivating or stimulating.

When I completed my novel, it opened a new door to learning:

I learned that finishing a novel is another beginning.
I learned how to write a query letter and a synopsis.
I learned that you need an agent in order to get a publisher.
I learned that each agency has a number of agents, each with their own requirements and interests.
I learned persistence, and with every rejection I learned the importance of believing in myself and my work.

Then, I decided to self-publish, opening another door to learning:

I learned about Kindle Direct Publishing.
I learned how to format and publish a novel.
I learned that publishing a novel is another beginning.

Now, in the midst of marketing and promotion, I have opened another door to learning:

I learned how to create a web site/blog.
I learned how to create a Facebook page.
I learned about Instagram and have started posting.
I am learning to reach out to people and create a social media presence.

Most of all, I am learning how supportive people are, how genuinely my family, friends and acquaintances want me to be successful in this endeavor. It makes this writer’s journey all the more enjoyable to have such beautiful company.