Self Publishing Advisor

OH MY GOSH! My hands are so full! The two-year-old just pulled the pile of clean laundry onto the floor where the dog threw up! My phone is vibrating in my pocket and the computer is dinging with incoming messages. The crockpot has run dry and the stew is burning. My coffee is cold and the snow outside is at least eight inches deep. Is it really vital that I shovel a path to the mailbox? Today?

I don’t suppose any other writer has experienced this conundrum. Right? Well, I’m guessing that most of us have at least a passing memory of such days—unless, of course, you might be an Ernest Hemingway who sat back and came up with quotes like, “Never confuse movement with action.” He may have been suggesting that it takes a lot of sitting and thinking to produce literature, yet I do wonder how he ever got those books written.

Time and time again I see the truth of another concept as stated in this quote from Lucille Ball (actress/comedian): “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do.” THAT is how I see my author friends in the midst of their creative process—BUSY with life and living! So, when someone throws a red flag in my direction and tells me that finishing their book is “just impossible,” they will see my hand raised in stop-sign motion. Don’t EVER think in that direction! There are just too many support avenues to help a writer over the speed bumps. SO…if you’re feeling weighed down with the “can’t make its” here are a few tips.

• Pick up a BOOK! If you have a true favorite book (mine is the ROBE by Lloyd C. Douglas), pull it off the shelf and start reading! Not only will this alert everyone around you that you’re entering “quiet-time,” the story will take you to marvelous places.
• IF your “hands” are really too full, talk to your family and ask for help. You are a very important person in their lives and I believe (and I’m rarely wrong-ha!) that they will step up and DO some of those chores—taking you out of the pressure cooker. That is better than any “bubble bath moment” you’ve ever experienced!
• Call a writing friend. Don’t talk about the problems you might be facing! Talk about their book project. Not only will their efforts re-energize you, they will probably ask about your characters (or plot or setting) and you’ll find yourself making notes to use the minute you’re off the phone.
• If you’ve reached the point of selecting a publisher, talk to your support team. Their inspired ideas for the production of your book will motivate you, too.

Finally, the best resource you’ll ever find is TOMORROW. There is only so much any human being can fit into one day. So get a good night’s sleep and remember that the giant trees of tomorrow (your books) are planted by the seeds of today.

ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.