Today’s wordcount is at negative 300 so far because I had to tear apart two chapters that were revealing information too soon and then write new words to replace what I tore out.  So I figured I’d take a break and do some non-writing writing stuff.

And man is there a lot of it to do.  Before you start writing for money you basically have the luxury of just writing.  Or maybe reading blogs or forums or books about writing craft, but really it’s just write when you want to, don’t when you don’t.

But the minute you start writing for money–either subbing stories or novels to publications or agents or editors or self-publishing–you start to find your time getting sucked up by these other things that are related to your writing but aren’t your actual writing.

To give an example, here’s my current to-do list:

1. Get my old Mac set up to run Vellum and then update eight files that have validation errors on Kobo when I use a Word file to upload there.
2. Load those files to Kobo once done.
3. Create FB ads using mirror audiences from three sign-up lists I have from various giveaways I participated in.
4. Email Amazon about linking the editions of short stories I just pubbed through Pronoun that were previously listed direct with Amazon so the reviews transfer over.
5. Add more titles to Google.
6. Submit a few proposals for an upcoming conference I want to speak at.
7. Create a PowerPoint for a talk I’m giving at a library next month.
8. Figure out where to go for wide distribution of my audiobook titles and then get all 18 titles published there.
9. Publish a title that came out of Select wide.

Those were just the items that came to mind when I was writing the list.  Little things, like updating links for my short stories that were moved to Pronoun, didn’t even make the list but those had to be done, too.  And keeping track of ads and adjusting them as needed.  And reacting to any new developments that need my attention.  And…

Good thing I’m not popular enough to get invited to do interviews or attend cons.  I don’t know how successful authors manage to balance it all.  Some days it feels like I’m working on my writing for the entire day and yet my wordcount is negligible.  And it’s all because of these little things that eat away at my time or my focus.

At least a lot of them can be done while I’m unwinding watching television at night and need something to occupy my attention.  But still…

I’d almost recommend that authors hold off on trying to make money off their writing for as long as possible while they just write, write, write.  Then again, I think without the motivation of potential sales I would’ve written far less than I have at this point and be nowhere near where I am on this whole journey.  So…You take the bad with the good I guess.