Before the pandemic (you all remember that, right? Life before?), in 2019 when my book came out, I remember scrambling to figure out how to “get out there”, basically how to engineer bookstore appearances, book fair registrations, and all that stuff we authors do to make ourselves known to readers. I don’t know how many bookstores or libraries or book fairs I did that year, but I do remember them. Or some of them, anyway. I went to my first reader/writer convention in March 2020.
For a day. Then everything shut down.
And I couldn’t write. For almost 2 years, something put a stranglehold on my creative energy, and though I tried, I could not write. Of course, anything related to in-person stuff was shut down, and virtual, while a great option, just isn’t the same, especially when it comes to talking to random people who might buy your book and become fans.
Now things are back. Last year, really, is when all the things started happening again. And I finally, somewhere late 2021, got my writing going again. I’m this close to a resubmit of Book 2; waiting on talking to a few more beta readers before doing another revision and sending it off to my agent with fingers crossed.
I’m working on a couple other projects, too. The thing I find I’m not doing (or terribly interested in doing at this point) is setting up those in-person things: book fairs, art fairs, bookstore appearances, all the stuff. Mainly because I don’t have a new book yet, but also because after the past couple years, I’m pretty content to be a homebody.
Oh, I know when Book 2 finally comes out I’ll force myself to do all the things again, but I dread it. Okay, I dreaded it the first time, but did it because that’s what you do to garner readers. Same will go for Book 2. And hopefully I’ll have the first book of a new series on the publication journey.
But this summer will be pretty quiet, except for the occasional panel, and maybe a book fair. I do have a signing event in July, along with a panel. Now all those things I’ve been setting aside since spring of 2020 are staring me in the face and begging for attention (you know, like organizing that stuff that came home from the office when they made everyone work from home and cleaning the refrigerator; actually, a lot of that deep cleaning stuff).
And I did get the garden in–now is about the time I need to start going out and stirring up those nasty tiny weeds before they decide to really get going. I didn’t have as much cut-grass mulch as I needed, so I’ll have to rake more the next time we mow what we affectionately call the “back forty.”
And it’s hot. July temps in the upper 80s and it’s only the first week in June. Ugh. We got all of what, one or two weeks of spring … maybe. I miss spring!
Anyway, the struggle to make writing the priority before garden and cleaning and–okay, not work because that’s how I pay the bills 40 hrs a week–is ongoing. Can’t wait for my Writing Sisters reunion in August!
Keep on writing!