Learning to Climb the Author Ladder

I realize it’s been a looong time since I last blogged, but believe me, it’s been on my mind! It’s just that what my brain (and heart) want to do often times don’t fall in line with that reality has to offer—which is 24 hours in a day. And boy, am I feeling the time constraints lately because I just realized my kiddos have about 2.5 weeks left of school! Where did the months go?! Eeks. I’ve come to accept that summer school may not work for us this year due to some things we have scheduled, not to mention, the enthusiastic cries of “Noooo!” that I get when I bring up the topic. 😉 So, what does that mean for me? I’m head-down, hunched over in the trenches of my laptop for the time being, trying to finish my current book.

The bad news is that I likely won’t be sleeping much for the next few weeks. The good news though? If I can keep up the momentum, I’ll be done with the second book in The Spark Brothers Series next month!

I owe a LOT to a group of four romance authors called The Writing Gals for everything I’ve been learning recently about writing and marketing. Thanks to them, I’m writing smarter and selling smarter. My productivity has improved six-fold (from writing 500 words a day to up to 3k sometimes!) and I’m actually excited about my job, even the oh-so dreaded marketing part of it. I’ve even been thinking about climbing the ladder—not the one on the munchkins’ bunkbed, haha—but the bestseller one.

When I worked in the corporate and non-profit worlds in my past life (aka. before kids), I never thought about, much less attempted, to climb the ladder. As an introvert, I’ve always liked to keep my head down and get the job done. It’s not in my nature to want to put myself out there and strive for promotions or advancements—I leave all the climbing to hubby who lives for it! But lately, I’ve been inspired to think bigger. To imagine and dream. To consider that I have what it takes—the skills, perseverance, and smarts—to succeed as an author.

What does this look like? Specifically, it means publishing more often and, to be frank, selling more. While I understand success cannot always be measured by numbers, it does help to see where I’m at and how I can improve. Selling more books means reaching more readers, which means spreading the message of love, truth, and hope I try to instill in my stories. If I can also earn enough to contribute to the family income in a substantial way (and thereby lessen hubby’s load), that would be the cherry on top of a delicious sundae.

So, this is where I’m at in my journey—learning to place one foot after another on the rungs of the author ladder. As you can see from the photo below, climbing requires a lot of planning and hard work, but most of all, support. Even someone as introverted as me sees the benefit of networking and learning from others who are further up on the ladder. I hope whatever journey you’re on, you’ll be able to find your village to help you grow. If I can help in any way in the area of writing and/or marketing, let me know!

Image courtesy of pixabay.com

Here’s a fun and meaningful song about being yourself and letting your light shine, Sophie Beem’s “Glow”. It’s my go-to jam when I need a pick-me-up on the hard days of climbing.

What ladders have you strived to climb?