Today I thought about an old post…

How much writers have to do besides write

HA, HA! When I first wrote the post below, in July 2022 for Substack, I was even more deluded; I had no idea what I was getting into. Things would get crazier as I embarked on the publishing journey. I went from going with a small publisher to self-publishing after my first book. Why? I discovered that my publisher expected me to do all the marketing for my book. I decided if I had to do all the marketing, and they would take such a large percentage of my royalties, I'd instead take on the whole job myself and self-publish my books. Thank goodness I had no freakin' idea what I was getting into. I was a naive, inspired writer who wanted to get my words out into the world. Good for me!

It has been a journey with many hills, valleys, and ditches. I've learned much; truthfully, there is still much to learn. My biggest problem is fear—or my refusal or stubbornness to handle some of what needs to be done. I'm sure this has held me back. Sales and marketing continue to be the most daunting tasks for me, but I hope to make some changes this year. So, what task do you dread that takes up a considerable amount of your time, and how do you deal with it? Please comment:

The thing that continues to fuel and drive me, and I'm sure drives you, is the writing. And even though I've had times when I'm frustrated, plot holes I've wrestled with, characters that I only like, or reviews from readers that I don't quite know how to take, it is nice when you get a pat on the back from your peers. I heard last week I was a finalist in a contest I entered. That made my day, week, month, and year. Thank you to Passionate Ink for the honor. I am proud to be a finalist. The final winners will be announced on June 29.

So reflecting back on where I started and what has transpired in the last couple of years, please find my original post from July, 2022:

I decided to follow my passion and write, I had no idea I'd be doing other stuff too. I had a silly idea I would bounce out of bed every day whenever I liked, head to my writing room, and wait for my muse to growl in my ear, in that throaty way of his, "I'm ready for you, Kay." Of course, he'd be one of those alpha males and carry a Deerskin flogger, preferably purple (details are so important). Ha! Oh, yeah, that's for a different story, sorry. As I was saying, I was living in a fantasy world. I believed my day would be spent writing my sexy, suspenseful stories. Silly me.

Unfortunately, most authors have to get the word out about their writing. It doesn't matter if you have a publisher or not unless you are some kind of mega hitter of some sort. The publisher isn't going to do all the marketing work. They don't have the resources, time, people, or money, to do it anymore. If you wait for them, your book will flop as severely as the joke I told about academia to a room full of professors.

Marketing takes many forms. Instagram, Facebook posts, Tik-Tok videos, newsletter emails, and the like. All of these take time away from the writer's primary function—to write books, and if they are an older writer, such as myself, there could be a bit of a learning curve with some of it. TikTok? Isn't that a clock?

So you see, dear readers, all is not as it seems in Romanceville. Where there were once hearts, hotness, and horniness, there are now YouTube videos, how-to books, headaches, and lots of whining, usually followed by a couple of snifters of Mezcal. Get the picture? More to follow . . .