Blogger: Rachel Kent
1) Don’t wait until tomorrow to back up your files. Do it today. Email your manuscript to yourself so that it is stored online as well.
2) Take breaks and move around throughout the day. Sitting all day is bad for your body and your creativity.
3) When you’re on a deadline, don’t wait until the last minute to work on your book. The publisher gave you that time to write the best book you are able to write–so do your job well.
4) Involve your agent in conversations with your publishing house. Your agent can’t know what’s happening without communication from you. Copying your agent on emails is a great way to keep him or her aware of the details. (Provided your agent wants to be copied; check this out first.)
5) If you are asking other writers to help you with promotion, be ready to help them in return. Everyone is busy. Don’t assume that you are busier than someone else who made time for you.
6) Be cautious about giving away your writing for free. Ask yourself, “Is this freebie going to sell books?”
7) Push yourself out of your comfort zone. If you hate public speaking, try teaching at a conference. If you aren’t comfortable with blogging, guest blog a few times. By pushing your own limits, you will reach an audience that you wouldn’t otherwise.
8) Invest in your own books. Be willing to set aside some of your advance for promotion. You can write it off of your taxes anyway!
9) Don’t forget to read. It’s easy to get so caught up in writing that you aren’t reading current releases. Keep up on the market. And read writing craft books too. There’s always room for improvement.
10) Dream big and work hard.
Do you have any tips to add to help other writers?
Which of these tips is most important for you to remember right now?
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Thanks Rachel. Unfortunately #2 is most important right now. I just finished my manuscript and those long winter days at the computer all day and work and most of my free time has taken a toll on my neck and shoulders.
SO, writers–take this one seriously. Learn how to sit and stretch properly before you regret it. 🙂
Also–dreaming big/working hard; and reading a lot.
I need to adhere to #2 more as well. My posture is horrible.
Surround yourself with positive people! When the WIP needs a little TLC, a critique partner capable of pointing out weak spots WITH compassion and encouragement is a tremendous help.
Yes! Positive, encouraging people can make all the difference.
Another great option for #1 is Dropbox. It’s free up to 2gig and automatically backs up your files whenever you’re online. It will sync them between any computers you have on the same account. You can also download them from the Dropbox website if you’re on a different computer. It’s saved my bacon more than once!
I love Dropbox! You can earn more free space when you recommend friends to sign up and they mention you/or click from your email to them.
I was totally going to plug Dropbox, too! I work almost exclusively out of Dropbox so all my work is saved in the cloud. Then I back up to my hard drive periodically, just in case the cloud explodes. 😉
I just set up a new critique group using a shared folder in Dropbox. We can all upload bits of our work there and comment on each other’s submissions, with Word automatically assigning different colors and initials to each commenter’s edits. Then the author has ALL the comments saved in the same doc. No emailing back and forth required, no hassle of trying to mentally synthesize the comments of ten different people and ten different docs. It’s genius.
Lindsey –
That’s genius! I’ll have to figure out how to do that…
I haven’t used Dropbox much. Maybe I should consider giving it a try!
I love Dropbox, too, but I also worry about the cloud exploding. Do you run a backup as in “backup”? 🙂 Or do you manually copy files to a different location?
I’m also trying Cubby which is supposed to leave copies on your hard drive.
Yep,I use Dropbox too! It has saved me more than once. And I like the fact it automatically updates the folders on my other computer, so even if the cloud explodes, it’s on at least two machines.
Has anyone ever heard of a cloud actually exploding? Is this a joke or a real fear?
@Carol
If you’re already familiar with Dropbox, it’s very easy. The most challenging part has been getting all members of my crit group (there are 8 of us) to get Dropbox installed on their devices and to give them a quick understanding of how it works.
You set up a new folder in your Dropbox account, then share that folder out with specific Dropbox users via their email addresses (this is done from the Dropbox website after you log into your account). Once they accept your invite, they can view and edit files, as well as post their own work. I’ve just had to make it clear that these are not “copies” of files, on each individual’s computer. It’s like one master file, so no one in the group is to do anything (like delete!) to files they didn’t post, except edit, make comments, and save. Then the author of the file can cut and paste it out of the shared folder into their own private folders whenever they like. So far, it’s working wonderfully.
As the owner of the shared folder, you can invite whomever you wish, kick people out (I only did this to my husband after I was done using his Dropbox account for testing…lol), and give other members of the group the ability to manage the folder, too. I didn’t do that because we had some Dropbox newbies in our group and I didn’t want any accidents. 🙂 Hope this helps!
Oh, and Rachel, I was totally kidding about the cloud exploding. 😀
Something being saved in the cloud only means it’s saved on some giant server (with its own backups) somewhere. It’s actually safer than saving things on your hard drive because your HD is vulnerable to crashing and other forms of data loss, and your computer is vulnerable to theft and destruction. The servers that comprise “the cloud” are too, but they have their own backups and the companies like Dropbox take the preservation of your information very seriously.
I say, save in the cloud, backup to hard drives. But the reverse works, too. Save to the HD, back up to the cloud. Either way, you’re offering yourself double protection. One on-site copy, one off-site copy.
On a side note, emailing your work to yourself accomplishes the same thing as creating a cloud copy in Dropbox. It’s saved on the email server somewhere and is less likely to be lost. Dropbox is just a little more efficient. 🙂
Thanks, Carol, I just downloaded Dropbox to my laptop.
These are all great suggestions. I agree with Anne, it’s so important to keep moving. The winter can really take a toll when you write like crazy, but don’t get the fresh air you need, I’m guilty:) I also really like the suggestion to take time to give back to other writers. I want to make that one a priority.
Thanks, Lisa!
Such wonderful tips, Rachel–thank you!(And #2 is sooo important! Along with a good corn sock. Oh, and a stress ball. Those are fun! :))
A thought I would add: Don’t let social media steal too much of your time. Platform’s important, but so is the actual writing. On the other hand, be active on SOMETHING–Twitter, FB, a blog, or whatever means you’re comfortable with. It makes me sad when I want to connect with someone only to find irregular or nonexistent tweets or posts.
Happy Weekend!
Social media has definitely stolen my time. Sigh.
I understand, Jeanne. The trick is to reach that happy medium. I do my social media for an hour or two in the mornings, and then concentrate on my writing the rest of the day. I’ll pop in and out of my sites as I have time. Oh, and it’s been mentioned often, but I do find a timer actually helps with self-discipline. 🙂
Try not to think of it as “stolen” but as an “investment.” Being active on social media pays in quiet ways!
Cynthia, you’ve brought up an important point–two of them actually. It’s important not to let working on social media take up time and energy than the time spent on writing. Your addition statement that writers who are on social media should be active is spot on as well. It’s a difficult balancing act though, I find. I had spent so much time trying to stay active daily on Twitter and FB and weekly on two blogs that I found it hard to fit my writing time in. So I backed off. But lately between writing and regular life I’ve become inconsistent with my social media activity. Currently, my goal is to be more regular in my social media efforts, not necessarily to post daily, but regularly, for example on the same three days a week on Twitter and the same day each week on the blogs. And I resonate with what you said about connecting. I know that, for writers, social media is part of a business strategy to get published and sell books, but for me, connecting with other people is the payoff. It’s the part that makes me want to do it. That is one of the two best things about the Books and Such blog. The information that the agents generously give away here is really more than someone could get from a Master’s Degree in Being a Writing Professional (if such a program existed). But there are a couple other blogs and websites (WD and The Nelson Agency) which offer invaluable information too. I do visit those sites, but I come here daily because of the blessing of connecting with the wonderful community of writers who comment regularly as well as the opportunity to connect with the agents–as people.
Blessings!
Wonderful comments here! It’s a delicate balance between social media and writing time. I like, Jill, what you said about thinking of it as an investment. I have made some wonderful online friends through blogging and then FB. Hopefully, some day they’ll buy books. Or, I’ll give them books and they can be influencers.
Corn sock? I’m unfamiliar with this.
Rachel, I got mine from a drugstore chain, but I bet you can find them at any big box store, too. Actually, my new one is rice filled. I zap it in the mircowave for a bit and then fling it over my neck. Works wonders for tense neck muscles. Smells a little weird, but feels so good. 🙂
Loved these tips, Rachel. I agree with Lisa. Giving back to other writers, in a multitude of ways, is good on so many levels. I loved your tips today.
Thanks! Glad they were useful.
Love this, Rachel! And I always get so many great tips from the comments. I’ll be checking in later!
My tip? Have a Bible passage up your sleeve for those tough days. Lately I’ve been repeating “I humble myself; God exalts me,” based on 1 Peter 5:6. I can get a little ridiculous, so this brings me back to reality! 🙂
Have a terrific weekend!
Great advice, Jill.
I love this advice, Jill!
Thanks, Jill. Very nice advice.
Saved your work often. There is nothing worse than working on a document, Word freezes and stops working. If it recovers, it may not be where you left off and then you have to write that section over.
Indeed. Was working on a short story and something similar occurred, just glad it wasn’t a novel!
Great tips, Rachel. Another good one I constantly need to remind myself of:
Don’t compare yourself with others! God has his perfect plan and timing for you.
You’re right, Lindsay. Comparing yourself with others never leads to a positive outcome. On the other hand, trusting in God always does.
AMEN, Lindsay!!
Oh, I need to remember this too, Lindsay. Thanks for mentioning it. 🙂
Thank you, Rachel, for the wonderful tips. Like Anne, Lisa and Cynthia, I have to focus on #2. Whether I’m working on writing or grading papers / preparing lessons for my classes, I can get so focused I lose track of time. My neck and back definitely tell me when I’ve sat for too long! Taking breaks helps both the body and the mind. If only I could remember that…:)
Number one is excellent advice. I started emailing my manuscript to myself as well as saving it on an external hard drive because of an incident that happened a couple months ago. My fingerpad on my laptop just suddenly stopped working. I was able to attach a mouse and copy everything to the hard drive that day, but I wasn’t certain at first if my computer was getting ready to crash or what. Since then, I’ve started emailing my manuscript to myself as well as doing backups. That way I know I have it and have access to it. I actually thought I was being a bit obsessive so I’m glad to see that you recommend it.
Would you please consider one day writing a blog post about #6? While I am not yet in the delightful position of having a published book to give away, I’ve noticed that the current trend is to give away books and had wondered how much giving away is too much.
Your final suggestion, “dream big and work hard,” is spot on all the time.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Thank you, Christine! I’m pretty sure Janet has written a blog about “free” before. I’ll see if I can dig up the link. It’s a topic we could write more on, I’m sure, so I’ll keep it in mind for future blogs as well.
Thank you, Rachel. I’ll see if I can find Janet’s blog and thanks for considering writing more about it.
Blessings!
Indeed! With the low cost of flash drives nowadays, (8 gig drives cost around five to ten dollars), backing up ones’ writing is a definite must do!
A few tips I suggest:
1. Try writing something that isn’t your regular genre or style. That way, when the next trend comes, you might already have a saleable mss! Also, doing so can help inform ones’ writing for what they are more comfortable with, and keep one from getting into a rut feeling like one is writing the same story over and over.
2. Parties. Fun way to relieve the stress of working in this industry, and leaving the writing cave once in a while to see the people who care about you is always a good idea!
3. Become an adjunct professor at a local college in the English department. Even if you aren’t teaching at Harvard, it is a great way to boost a resume, have fun working in the field of writing, and observe the behavior of the North American Moon-Bat (also known as your colleagues).
Great tip, Larry, on teaching at the local college. I’ve done that and am hoping to get a class again soon. The extra pay doesn’t hurt, either.
1. Get outside and live life. It goes without saying that the writing life can keep us isolated. The fine art of people watching without being too obvious can give us ample fodder for our stories. I have a mannerisms file that I add to regularly.
2. Take a class and gain more knowledge about a topic that will add dimension to your writing. I’ve taken courses at my local Junior College in Historic Preservation. The Styles in Architecture class gave me insight into 19th century architecture specific to the area I’m writing about.
Jenni, I, too, have a mannerisms file — beats, quirks, oddities, names, sayings. Now I just need to figure out an organization for it all. Great idea because it’s there when you need it.
These are great ideas, Jenni. I need to look at the idea of taking community college classes.
These are all great tips, Rachel. Number 5 is very important. Promotion is hard, but if we all help each other, it’s made easier.
I would add start each day with prayer and join a critique group. Mine has been an invaluable source of encouragement and assistance.
Definitely prayer, Cheryl! Great addition to the suggestions.
Critique groups!!! Very important. 🙂
Thank you, Rachel. #7 resonates with me:
“7) Push yourself out of your comfort zone. If you hate public speaking, try teaching at a conference.”
Or teach a small group Bible study, or teach skills in the area that you’re talented in…
And invest in taking some public speaking classes. They are safe!
I see the shift from 20 years ago when authors don’t have to worry much about marketing their own books because the publishes did the heavy lifting. Now authors have to be out there, promoting, selling, building readership, platforms, branding, etc.
Do you happen to have some sort of survey/statistics to see what percentage of a published author’s time is used in marketing/promos after a book is released compared to time they need to write their next book for the publisher?
Thank you for the useful post!
I don’t have statistics on that. I wonder if there have been studies done?
I thought I was arriving late to the discussion today, Rachel, but I’m so glad I did. Such a helpful post and wonderful comments. Thank you, everyone!
The comments are great!
Rachel, your tips are wise and spot on! I heartily concur. 🙂
My favorite tip: Never give up!!! 🙂
This is a great list! It’s also been important for me over the last several years, to have friends who are prayer warriors–who pray for you, encourage you, and help you stay on track, both spiritually and professionally when you feel like giving up on writing. They may not always understand the life of a writer or what you’re writing, but they can pray for you. It’s because of some awesome friends like this that keep me going and helps me see beyond myself to God’s bigger picture.
#10 is SO true.
Add patience and patience to that list. Oh, and patience.
I would add, surround yourself with smart, honest and supportive writer friends. Don’t trust a normal civilian to be the one to tell you what is lacking in your work. As nice as they are, they don’t quite know the ropes.
If they can’t answer this question: “What’s a WIP?” without referring to cowboys or Catwoman, then pat their head and smile, and move along.
Great tips! I especially like number 10.
I play Frisbee – twice a day – to refresh my writing muscles.
End Note: Donnie throws & I catch. Then we switch.
My dogs enjoy frisbee too! We have to use soft discs though.
The tip I need to remember most is to stretch myself and try working out of my comfort zone. It can be tempting to stay with what is familiar. Yet you never will know what you can accomplish until you try.
Another tip is to attend writer’s conferences and to work with critique groups. It’s vital to stay current with what is going on in the field and to get honest feedback from others who won’t tell you just what you want to hear.
Great post!
I especially like number nine. I love reading but sometimes I get so caught up in my writing. Plus I have phobia of wasting my time on bad books. Too many duds picked up at the library. I like when a friend recommends a book to me.
Number ten should be a large sign above my computer. 🙂
Thanks Rachel!
I’m almost ridiculous when it comes to backing up, but if you’ve ever lost your work, you’ll understand why. I use a free program called Syncplicity that is very similar to DropBox. It syncs my files between both my computers and the web, but also with a third computer at work because it’s always a good idea to have a backup in another location. I also use DropBox. If either DropBox or Syncplicity goes under, I’m covered. And, I automatically sync my files to an external hard drive, keeping both the new files and a backup of previous versions (although, I admit, I need to set up the new, larger drive I got recently for these automatic backups). All of that happens without me ever having to remember to back up. Every once in a while, I’ll back up to a CD, just to have a series of backed up versions, which I’ve never actually needed so I do this less than I used to. I’ve also used the Version feature of OpenOffice/LibreOffice to keep older versions. Word used to have this feature, but it was notorious for corrupting files. I haven’t been as good about that recently, but I expect to when I begin revising my current WIP.
You can also use for-pay services like Mozy to backup much larger amounts of data in encrypted, incremental form for a reasonable amount of money, but I don’t do this–yet.
If you prefer to mainly use the CD or hard copy backup methods because you don’t trust the privacy of the cloud or whatever, it’s a good idea to send a copy to a friend or family member who does not live near you so you’re protected in case of a natural disaster. Paranoid? Maybe, but bad stuff happens and if all of your backups are in one place and that place burns or is hit by a hurricane or earthquake or is invaded by zombies, your backups aren’t going to do you any good.
It was interesting to see that somebody’s writing group uses DropBox. Good idea! Mine uses Google Docs, which works really well for us, even if multiple people are critiquing at once.
Thank you Rachel, I just sent my ms to myself on email and am backing up my computer as I write. I found setting a reward for myself if I write during my scheduled time at night, works for me. I will ride my bike to the local McDonald’s for a $1 ice cream cone or walk over to the CVS for a treat. Getting out at night is refreshing as you look at all the stars and bright moon. It connects me with God and reminds me why I am writing, for His Glory!
Great tips, Rachel. Thank you. Number three is painful, but I ‘need’ deadlines. They keep me grounded.
Number seven is more painful for me. I was forced to teach some genealogy classes where I work, but it really did help me. I prayed before each class and God got me through it, although I never thought it was possible that I could speak in front of a group.
Be patient and grow some incredibly, alligator thick skin.
These comments are fantastic! My biggest suggestion is to explore the world around you. I begin my day with God, exercise, breakfast with my iPad (and hubby) to catch up on the world, then get ready to dive into my writing. Being aware of God, taking care of my body, and knowing what is going on around the world gives me fresh insight to what I’m writing.