Hello all and welcome to the monthly write-fest that is the IWSG. Here you'll find motivation to overcome your insecurities, learn more about the writing journey, and learn the varied methods of publishing.
Alex's awesome co-hosts for the November 4 posting of the IWSG are Jemi Fraser, Kim Lajevardi, L.G Keltner, Tyrean Martinson, and Rachna Chhabria!
Once again, I've invited a guest to take over my blog. Today Jemi Fraser returns. Yes, I'm obsessed just a little with publication stories and have been from when I began blogging in 2007. I see Jemi as a pioneer as she's published the way I intend to - "now you don't see me, now you do" kinda thing! Anyway, to help other sly writers who have a truckload of books they've been writing, editing, rewriting for YEARS, I've asked Jemi to talk about the pros and cons of publishing the rapid-release way!
Over to you, Jemi!
Thanks for having me on your fabulous blog again, Denise!
2020 has been a weird and wacky year in so many ways. Which means it was probably the perfect year for me to enter the publishing world in my own weird and wacky way.
In January 2020 I decided this was the year I was going to
publish both my nonfiction book and my romance series.
I set up pre-order dates for Dancing With Dementia
and arranged a blog tour for the end of March. You know, when the pandemic
really hit.
It was early days in the pandemic and people were thinking we’d
be more or less normal by June or July. I picked a date to release my romance
series at the end of July.
I decided to release 3 books at once and then another before the end of the year. Bloo Moose has been living in my head for a while. Because I was writing a series, to me there wasn’t much point in releasing one book then waiting for a few months before releasing another. I wanted to have something else for readers to read if they liked Reaching For Normal (it’s free!).
I wanted Book 4 (Reaching For
Balance) out before the end of the year - preferably within 3 months
of the first 3. Apparently this is good for visibility on some retailers.
While I was finalizing 4, Book 5 started
yelling at me. It was supposed to be book 6 but it changed its mind and decided
it wanted to be a Christmas story.
Hmm.
Christmas stories sell best before Christmas so I decided
November 10 looked like a good date. Four weeks after book 4.
I did mention weird and wacky, right?
What have been the pros and cons of my publishing schedule?
Cons:
• Exhaustion
(I’m also providing daily child care for family)
• Imposter
Syndrome is Strong! (who am I to think people want to read my stories?)
• Marketing
and Promo? Who has time for that?
• Pressure
to keep up the pace (spoiler alert: probably not publishing 6 books in 2021!)
Pros
• Not
a whole lot of time to do things like checking numbers and rankings and reviews
• There
has been some reader buy-through of the series
• I’ve
had people tell me they are excited about the series and waiting for more!
(yay!!!)
• Readers
are preordering
• Pushing
myself to really focus means even more stories and ideas are knocking on my
skull
• I
love my Bloo Moose folks and getting to spend time with them is fun
• I
have 2 new series ideas waiting their turn (con = they’re impatient & time
is limited)
• I
have 6 books out and about in the world!!!
Would I do it all again? Yes! Although I’d wish for less
global pandemic and more time!
How about you? Anyone else save up their books to publish
them together? Anyone else start publishing during the pandemic? Anyone figure
out how to create more time yet?
Life is short - go for the HEA! Author of Contemporary
Romance (Bloo Moose), Dancing With Dementia (nonfiction), and short/flash
fiction. Variety is the spice after all!Thanks Jemi! Let's give Jemi your reactions to her post. Or...share your own pros and cons of publishing in the comments!
Seeing you're here ... think about joining us at WEP for the Christmas challenge, UNMASKED.
