What\u2019s going on in the offices of Matilija Press and Patricia Fry this week? <\/p>\n
It rarely fails. When I go out and speak about some aspect of writing or publishing, someone asks me how I manage my time. They want to know what comprises my work day, if I maintain a schedule and they are most fascinated with how I manage to write so many books. So occasionally, I devote my blog to what\u2019s going on in my career\u2014how I\u2019m spending my time.<\/p>\n
First, let me say that this will be my last blog post until Monday morning. I\u2019m heading to LA for the big LA Times Festival of Books this evening\u2014a long weekend event. We\u2019ve been promised good weather\u2014in fact, it might be a tad HOT. Probably everyone of the over 140,000 people they typically attract to this event will come out of their homes this weekend to browse the 300 or so booths of books and things related to books and reading. SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) has a large booth and some of our members will join us in the booth to talk to visitors about their books. Those of us representing the organization will be talking to budding, struggling and hopeful authors about publishing and book promotion and handing out catalogs of our members\u2019 books. It is an intense and fun weekend.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re in booth number 238. Do stop by and say, \u201cHello.\u201d Pick up a SPAWN Catalog of Member\u2019s Books and Services<\/em>. Sign up for the FREE enewsletter\u2014SPAWNews<\/em>. Pick up one of my brochures. Buy a book from one of our members.<\/p>\n So this week, I\u2019ve been preparing in every way for the book festival\u2014gathering all of the books, book racks, banners, table clothes, tape, pens, sign-up sheets, chairs, business cards, promo materials for my books, a case of water, SPAWN tote bags, membership apps, etc. to take this weekend. <\/p>\n I\u2019ve also been writing and refining a piece for my website. Once I finish it, I\u2019ll present this FREE ebooklet at http:\/\/www.patriciafry.com<\/a> for download. I\u2019ve had a lot of interest in the current FREE ebooklet\u201450 Reasons Why You Should Write That Book<\/em>. And the one I offered before that, The Successful Author\u2019s Handbook<\/em>, was also popular. The new freebie is 50 Ways to Promote Your Ebook<\/em>. <\/p>\n I think that all of you who have an ebook or who are considering producing one will be quite surprised at the list I have compiled and the tips and resources I\u2019m offering. Keep an eye on this blog site. I will make an announcement when the new ebooklet is ready for free download.<\/p>\n I have been working with a client this week\u2014helping him fine-tune his book and we\u2019ve worked on the back cover copy together. I also finished up an article requested by the editors of Publishing Basics<\/em> on ebook marketing.<\/p>\n I met a former client for a chai latte. Then I realized it is made using milk and I am off most dairy right now. So I just sipped as we talked about his plans to edge into the publishing field in a helping capacity. When I got home, I gathered up and emailed him the resources I promised.<\/p>\n I also turned over the dirt in our veggie and herb garden beds and planted seeds and plants. Now I add daily watering to my list of regular tasks, such as blogging, writing, editing, fielding questions, officially welcoming new SPAWN members, studying the \u201ce\u201d and print newsletters and magazines that come in while noting resources and publishing trends for the newsletter I write for the member area of the SPAWN site and so forth. <\/p>\n This week, I also conducted a couple of interviews for the newsletter and finished editing it for publication May 1.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve been taking bids for some remodel work we want around here\u2014had the repairman out to replace the timer on our clothes dryer and I\u2019ve been in touch with the SPAWN members who will be in the booth with us this weekend.<\/p>\n I communicated some of my ideas to the organizer of an upcoming author festival and conference, discussed an article with a magazine editor, shipped books, did some SPAWN bookwork and banking and played with my cats whenever they were in the mood. <\/p>\n I also scrubbed both bathroom floors with Spic n Span and walked a total of about 10 miles.<\/p>\n How much time did I spend actually writing this week? Probably somewhere between twenty and thirty hours. That\u2019s not much for me. When I am working on a book on deadline or editing for someone, I can put in six to eight hours a day just writing, sometimes seven days a week.<\/p>\n My days probably don\u2019t look much different than yours, except that my priority is writing. Many would be writers I meet say they just don\u2019t have time to write. They can\u2019t figure out how to fit it in. My problem is training myself to fit in the other things in life\u2014things that don\u2019t necessarily have to do with writing and book promotion. But when I read through this recap of my week, I am pretty pleased with my efforts to get away from the office and out in the sun for brief periods of time throughout the day. Yesterday, in fact, I said \u201cYes\u201d to an invitation to have lunch on an outdoor patio at a local eatery with my middle daughter and oldest granddaughter. And I do spend time with my ninety-year-old mother regularly.<\/p>\n How about you? Are you making time to write? What about book promotion? Or are you like me and you\u2019ve become so enmeshed in your writing world and so disciplined that you have to find ways to work in the fun stuff?<\/p>\n Are you struggling to start on or complete your book manuscript? Are you nearly finished and wonder what to do next? Which publishing option is best? Are you wondering how one goes about finding\/choosing the right publisher? What\u2019s all of this about book promotion? The ordinary author doesn\u2019t have to get involved with that, does he\/she? If I get a publisher, I won\u2019t have to worry about it at all, isn\u2019t that right? Do I need an agent? How do you find one that is legit? What about a distributor, copyright, book reviews, Internet marketing, using social media? Do I need a website?<\/p>\n If you have these and other questions, PLEASE do yourself a favor and order a copy of the book I wrote expressly for you!!!! Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author<\/em>. It\u2019s at Amazon.com and other online and downtown bookstores. You can also purchase it at the author\u2019s website http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com<\/a> <\/p>\n Remember, no blog over the weekend. See you bright and early Monday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What\u2019s going on in the offices of Matilija Press and Patricia Fry this week? It rarely fails. When I go out and speak about some aspect of writing or publishing, someone asks me how I manage my time. They want to know what comprises my work day, if I maintain a schedule and they are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16,4],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t