by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Sometimes dealing with both creative work and the business end can be overwhelming. On any given day, I’m brainstorming plots, researching a new promo approach, and reading articles about the publishing industry. It’s a lot to juggle.
The part that probably takes up the most time and energy for me is learning something new. And I’m always learning something new. I’m branching into hardcover, I’m reading about new translation platforms, I’m trying a new app, I’m using a new aggregator, I’m reading up on Amazon ads. There’s rarely a time that I’m not figuring something out.
I’ve discovered a few things that work for me in regards to both balancing the writing and business sides and making myself feel less-frantic in the process.
Write first. There is so much to learn and apply with the business end of things that it’s easy to get wrapped up in it and lose out on writing time. By hitting your writing goals first, you know you’re staying on track. It has always reminded me a little of housework. If I tackle a large project at home, like clearing out a closet, if I haven’t done my regular housework (loading the dishwasher, making beds, putting away clutter), then despite how much progress I made with the closet, I’m still feeling frustrated and behind. By writing first, you know that anything else we accomplish that day is above and beyond.
Don’t try to multitask it. I love using the Pomodoro method for my writing and at one point was interspersing the writing with research or business in 20-minute sessions. But I found that this wasn’t good for either the creative work or the business work.
Set a time limit. I usually set a timer for myself when I’m working on business-related stuff or learning something new. Otherwise, one link tends to lead to another and soon I’m lost in a rabbit hole of new information. I can eat up hours that way if I’m not careful (and usually I don’t have hours to spend).
Keep notes. I’ve learned that even though I’ve spent hours figuring out how to do something on my website or how to make the best ad, etc, this does not guarantee that I’ll remember how to do it the next time around. There are tons of ways to keep notes on this stuff: use an old-fashioned notebook, create a folder in Word, or use OneNote (OneNote is my current method for organizing my notes and works really well. Plus, it’s free).
How do you handle the balance between the writing life and business? Any tips I’ve missed?
Tips for balancing writing and business: Share on XPhoto on Visual hunt
Or just ignore all of it and eventually it will go away.
Just kidding.
Writing now. Not doing much with marketing but I really don’t have anything new to market. Plus I’m spending a lot of that energy on the IWSG.
If only that was an option, ha!
The IWSG is showing the results of your attention, for sure. Hope you have a good week!
I need more time for all of it. The more I research, the further behind on research I feel. It’s the one thing that might actually take more time than writing.
It’s a rabbit hole that can so quickly turn into a time suck.
I use mornings for business and nights for writing/editing. (I’m pretty useless most afternoons.) Unless I’m under a deadline, then business gets set aside and I focus on the writing/editing. Except when a pile of pay-job work comes in. That has to get done first because it’s what’s bringing in the money to pay the editor and the cover artist. It’s a juggling act on the highwire sometimes, complete with the calliope playing in the background. ;o)
That sounds like a great method. Like you, I’m low on energy in the afternoons.
Loved the mental image of the juggling act!
These are great ideas, Elizabeth – thanks. That’s the thing about being a writer; it’s not all writing. And yet, as you say, the writing comes first. Nothing else happens if you don’t have a good book to put out there. I like it that you do research on new promo things, too – keeps those creative juices flowing, which, in turn, can help writing, I think.
It’s a little tedious, but sometimes the promo stuff is creative too (like working with images to make an ad). Hope you have a great week!
Great tips on balancing everything. I really like the idea of using a timer.
Timers really help (and with a variety of things). Thanks for coming by!
I need to spend more time on the business side. My original plan was to write a bunch of books, and worry about marketing later. But with nine novels and five nonfiction titles available, I’ve run out of excuses.
It’s the kind of thing where you have to lay the groundwork knowing that the payoff is usually later. Which makes it not as appealing to do, ha! I’m a fan of instant results, but that’s not usually the case with the business side.
I struggle with this every day. I’ve tried writing first and found it doesn’t work well for me. The best thing I’ve found so far is to stop the business part about two in the afternoon and write afterward. I’m not writing at the moment, or I would’ve been here this morning, LOL, but I do have extra things going on in real life, so there’s that, too. Real people do come first.
I think when you find a system that works, keep at it! And you’re right…real people have a way of inserting themselves in our schedule, ha!
Glad to have found your site from Margot Kinberg’s, Elizabeth. I can relate to a lot of what you’re talking about in this post!
Recently, I’ve really been focusing more and more time and attention on the actual writing of fiction and have seen other things sliding off the map (blog posts are less frequent, social media interactions dwindling, etc.).
It’s a tough balancing act but writing is the BEST job I’ve ever had and I’m so grateful to be doing it on a full-time basis. Thanks for the great post, I’m looking forward to reading the archives.
Margot’s blog is a treasure trove for mystery writers and readers, isn’t it? Thanks for coming by.
I’m with you…a bad day writing beats the *best* day at a regular job! And if we have our writing covered, everything else falls into place somehow.
It’s interesting, Elizabeth, that you write before taking care of other author-related activities.
It’s my understanding that many business executives try to schedule the hardest thing they have to do in the morning. I first read about that on James Clear’s blog, which has a lot of great productivity tips.
– Margot –
You wrote, “Nothing else happens if you don’t have a good book to put out there.”
Totally agree!
I’ve read a good deal about ‘eating the frog’ first thing in the morning (think it was a quotation from Mark Twain originally). You’re right, when you tackle the hardest thing first, everything else is gravy. Doesn’t work for everyone, but it definitely works for me.
When I hear the word business the rest turns into Charlie Brown’s parents talking.
I like that you said: Write first. Without the writing, there would be no business.
Teresa C.
Ha! I know what you mean! Even engaging in business is hard for this English major to wrap her head around.
There is so much to balance! Love the idea of setting a timer to remind me to stop exploring the rabbit holes! :)
Otherwise, it can be such a time-suck!
That notes thing is super important. I don’t know how many details I’ve forgotten along the way then have to go relearn them. =) I used to set a ten to twenty minute limit daily for study of the art, and had times during the week for industry study. Not so much anymore. Now it’s all about keeping my feet under me around the family. One day there will be less insanity and I’ll get back to it. In the meantime, there’s always cheese, eh?
That’s the worst, isn’t it? It took me a while to realize that just because I’d learned something new, it didn’t mean that I’d remember it the next time I needed to do it!
Writing will always be there! That’s the nice thing about it. If life gets crazy, you can take a break and come back later. And eat lots of cheese! :)
Still trying to figure out this balance. I definitely agree, I must write first. Interestingly, when I write first I have more energy for the rest of it. It’s as if the writing gives me an energy boost. Great tips. Thank you for sharing!
I think it’s also that sense of accomplishment from meeting the writing goal…it sort of carries us through the rest of it. Good luck as you find your balance!
Hi Elizabeth – I know I should be writing first … but tend to do other things – then I’m not ready to settle again to write once more: it is deciding to do it … I’d hoped to do it here .. but life has not been easy … such is the way of things … but I need to find the balance. Thanks for these tips and ideas and that One Note reminder too – cheers Hilary
Hope that life starts getting easier soon! Writing will be there for you when you’re ready for it.
Great hints, Elizabeth. I like the Pomodoro Method, too. Bought two little timers at Dollar Tree. Set one for 25 minutes, the other for 5 minutes. The 25 minutes for writing. The 5 minutes for doing a bit of house care, etc. It’s amazing what can be done in 5 minutes, even without rushing. Keeps me from feeling guilty for not doing the house before writing. Both are generally done about the same time. Yeah!
The Dollar Tree is one of my favorite places! I like your system for using Pomodoro and the fact that you’re noting how much you can accomplish in those 5 minute breaks! I like to take house cleaning breaks, too, and it makes me feel good knowing that I’m also moving around a little at the same time (so easy for me to spend most of my day in a chair!)
You know, I think you’ve hit on the issue I’ve been having for the past 2 weeks! I haven’t gotten any new writing done because I was running errands, researching promo stuff, fixing newsletter/subscriber issues, in the weeds with formatting the new release…all that stuff is important, but then the writing just gets shoved to the end of the day, for a short period of time. By then, I’m already fried and NOT in a good head space to even try.
Starting Monday, write FIRST! I’ll let you know…. Thanks!
That is sooo easy to do. I’ve been sucked into this thing at an overseas audio distributor where I am working at really odd hours because TekTime is based in Italy. As long as I write first thing, I don’t worry as much about it. And I won’t check my emails until after the writing is done (because that’s when it all starts).
Good luck with this! Let me know how it goes. :)