still publishing that book, part 3

You thought we were done, right? Wrong!

So now I have my website up to date. http://rachaelrawlings.wixsite.com/rachael-rawlings

I have added the preorder, the lovely cover, and the blurb. I have a means to sign up for the newsletter to keep my readers updated too.

Newsletter, you say? You didn’t know I had that too!?

Many authors use a newsletter to send out chances to win books, to keep readers informed, to share favorite authors, and to ask opinions about future work. I’ve got some awesome people on my newsletter, and always enjoy hearing from my readers. So naturally, I want to give my newsletter folks the good news about my newest publication. Some have helped me with the writing and plotting along the way. Others will write reviews for me, which is awesome!

Reviews, you say?

Here’s the honest truth. Amazon loves reviews. We authors like them, but Amazon loves them. And if we get enough reviews, then Amazon will actually boost our books, showing it to new audiences, finding us new readers! Great, right? So here’s a favor I’ll ask. If you have read a book, any book, that you like, write a quick review on Amazon. It doesn’t have to be more than one line, but it will make the author super happy!!

And now that I have my newsletter updated, I can go back to writing, right?

Um, no. I still have to put some new updates on my author Facebook page, tweet a little (which I am terrible at) maybe do an Instagram, and Pinterest. I don’t do these a lot, but I want to show off my cover, so I’ll add that on my to-do list.

And then I wait a little more.

Planning to Write

I d

on’t actually get writers block. I’m not bragging, I just have so many different stories swirling in my brain that if I get stuck on one, I just switch to another. This means that I am generally writing two to three novels at one time. Oh, and I’m editing one, or maybe two, during that same time. So keeping all of this straight is a challenge. For driving a novel, just getting the words on a page, I use a Nanowrimo type philosophy. For a month, I try to get fifty thousand words written. This is the goal for the National Novel Writing Month that comes around every November. I now use this every few months to get down some significant storylines for a rough draft. If I don’t reach the total word count, that’s fine because I still got a lot written. The following month is rereading the story, adding and editing, and usually writing the last few chapters.

              All this amounts to getting the book written and edited. Then it’s on to my beta readers, my editor, designing covers, and getting ready for release. Then it’s social media, this little blog that keeps slipping my mind, and tweeting and posting. That’s a lot to keep going. This is where my planner is helping. I have chosen this year to use a completely separate planner to write out my goals for each day of the week. I have plans for posting, for writing, for editing, and am also adding to my ever growing list of plot ideas. I bought a Mini Happy Planner that I am decorating with stickers, book print outs, and encouraging statements. A little cuteness is always helpful for the creative mind. Now, I just have to concentrate on not taking more time to plan than I am writing!

              The overlap will happen with events. I hope record all the events in both my writing planner and my regular family planner. That way, I can keep track of all our appointments and how they might overlap with the kids’ activities. I also plan to take the writing planner to my events. I can keep up with my titles, the ones that I sell, the people that have them signed, and add names to my email list for news and updates.

              I have already noticed that my planner is making me much more deliberate about my writing. I am thinking of ways to organize my day and use my time in a more efficient way. Only time will tell how my productivity is impacted by my new planning, but I have high hopes!

              If you are interested in any more information, about Nanowrimo, about writing a novel, about my books, or getting on my email list, let me know!!

Organizing? An attempt at blog organization

Better late than never, I figure, so I'm trying out a New Year's Resolution, um, a month late. I am not terribly organized. I work at it, enjoy planners, calendars, organization apps, and making lists. But I still struggle to get everything done in a timely manner.
So my blog reflects that. I post sporadically and my ideas are all over the place, skimming over my interests in no particular order.
No More!
My plan looks a little like this:
My Favs Monday: a chance to discuss my favorite books, movies, etc with hopes that I get a few suggestions from readers as well!
We Plan Wednesday: a quick review of what I am trying to use, what I'd like to try, what I've researched and find interesting, and hopefully some opinions from other planners!
Tech Thursdays: a discussion of some of my tech, some things that are cool, up and coming, and may just be a must buy for you all!

So my newest post will come out tomorrow, hopefully with a little more organization, and perhaps some new information and suggestions for you all!

How to learn Tumblr

subtitle: get a teenager  to help you!

I am reaching out, stretching my social wings beyond the comfortable world of Facebook where me and the rest of my admittedly slightly older crowd like to show adorable pics of our (fill in the blank with dogs, children, birds, crafts etc)

I have this Blogger, a bit of a ramble about what I am thinking about at the moment. I have a wordpress that is hanging out in the net biding its time. I have a Google +, an admittedly confusing venue, but fun to explore. Oh, and my Wix site (my daughter set that one up too)

But none comes as close to the confusion of articles, images, videos, gifs, as the system that is Tumblr. So I started my Tumblr, and a week later, it appears that I am the only one who has ever seen my blog.

What the hey?

Time to call in the professional, ie, my teenaged daughter. So as I watch, totally confused, she is making my Tumblr. 

I can't wait until tomorrow to see how many Likes I get...or is it +1, or, hmmmm reblogs?

What is your favorite social media platform?