Always quirky, sometimes sweet speculative fiction

Chatting With Dad

I had an interesting chat with my father. After he read my post regarding perhaps not entering my work in progress in the Vogel awards (due to it not being the sort of genre that usually wins) we discussed the whys and why nots and eventually started to talk about the viability of self-publishing as an option versus my desire to see my books in traditional print. Some people self-publish their first book and with good marketing make it a hit and use that popularity to entice a publisher to accept their next novel. Others have a few traditionally published novels but then have problems with publishers and decide to self-publish the rest of their works since they already have a fan-base.

Either way, with self-publishing you need to have a strong marketing ability. You need multiple platforms, like Twitter, Facebook, blogs, Linkedin. It all looks like so much to do on top of writing and taking care of a child, but it’s what you need to do if you want to make it.

Of course having a supportive family like my parents and my husband makes things much easier, but the pressures of limited time, lost sleep and finances still loom, shaking their figurative fists at me. As it is I have to get up before my family to find time to maintain my website, do my blogging and write my work in progress. I stay up after my husband and child have gone to bed sometimes too just to fit in time to write. I take my opportunities wherever I can, stealing them during Xander’s naps or moments when he’s quite happy to just sit and play near my feet.

What someone who wants to get published really needs is determination. Determination to find that time and use it productively. With so much to do, be it the writing itself, marketing, platform creating or all your usual daily tasks you need to be able to find and recognise that 10 minutes that you normally may have wasted looking at things you want on ebay and instead use it to build that platform or get down a few more ideas for the next story.

Ten minutes shouldn’t be too hard to find, where can you find your first ten minutes?

4 Comments

  1. Samoan

    Being a poor student I need to make extra cash by making items like cute hats and what not.. My favorite little extra time is the my travel time on the bus to and from tafe. While on the bus be it sitting or standing I knit it makes a big difference to my productivity.

    • Kirstie

      I imagine it also makes the bus ride more tolerable. If the bus gets stuck in traffic you probably don’t mind too much either – as long as you still make it to your class on time.

  2. sheree

    Hi Kirstie,

    your story book page is great, very inspirational ideas and info 🙂 in answer to your question – i have recently purchased a new night face cleansing kit and spend 10min each night pampering myself after a hard days work – this has in turn given me more purpose to achieve more in my day and and following that i have joined consulting with mary kaye (who i brought these lovely products from) i am now running my own little buissness with this in my spare time — haha and am even going to some courses about the company and products. its i bit of a change for me but i am enjoying it. –and all because i decided to take care of myself for 10mins!

    • Kirstie

      Isn’t it amazing what 10 minutes can do! And it’s so easy to waste these little snippets of time on something less worthy.
      It’s great to hear that you’re using a passion like caring for yourself and turning it into a career option. If we all did something we were passionate about I think the world would be a lot happier place.

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