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In this fast paced, ever-changing landscape of book publishing, more and more authors are feeling like their lives are moving too fast and they can’t wrap their arms around the multitude of activities that are required of them each day.
Between the demands of social media, writing, family, and for most authors, day jobs, their heads are spinning. I’ve talked more than my share of authors down from the virtual ledge lately.
I could write a long post about why you need the
World Literary Cafe, or what’s coming next, with
Fostering Success. I could write about tips and tricks that would help you manage these parts of your life–but I’m not going to. Wipe that sneer off of your little lips, please. I’d rather focus on the heart of the matter. You.
Each day is a gift, a blessing, and I don’t mean that in any religious sense. I mean that in the black and white definition of the word, “Something given voluntarily without payment in return.” and “Something bestowed or acquired without any particular effort by the recipient or without it being earned.” These are important distinctions. We don’t do much to earn another day on this earth. We exist. Period.
It’s important to accept that before moving on, because what comes next is completely within our own control, and we have to accept and understand this in order to fix the issue at hand and pay attention to what matters. You. Your sanity. Your family. Your life.
The confines of our social world often make us feel like we need to let the parts of our life that really matter, go by the wayside, suffer for the sake of our careers. I’ve never heard so much bologna spewn about one topic so often. We
create our lives. We choose when to tweet, post on Facebook, write, or relax.
Contrary to what you might hear in the great world of social media, you don’t have to be available twenty-four hours each day. Look at bestselling author
Lisa Genova. She turns off her emails all weekend long. Yup, you can wait. Her family matters.
While it’s true that as authors we need a consistent online presence in order to grow our followers, there are tips and tricks to doing that without turning the rest of our lives off, and…sit down for this…if you miss a day, your followers will not unfollow you.
If you do want tips and tricks, I’m happy to provide them, you know where you can find me. However, I suggest that you start with baby steps. Try going without checking your email for a few hours, or <gasp!> try it for a weekend. There is nothing more freeing, nothing that will spark your creativity in a more effective way, then rejuvenating your mind and body.
Create your life. Own it. Take responsibility for the time you give up and the energy you put forth. Without your writing, you wouldn’t need the rest. Spark that creativity! You matter. Then, we’ll learn the rest.
Melissa Foster is the award-winning author of three International bestselling novels, Megan’s Way, Chasing Amanda, and Come Back to Me. She has also been published in Indie Chicks, an anthology. Melissa is on the advisory board for the Alliance of Independent Authors and is a touchstone in the indie publishing arena. When she’s not writing, Melissa teaches authors how to navigate the book marketing world, build their platforms, and leverage the power of social media, through her author-training programs on . Melissa is the founder of the World Literary Café, Fostering Success, and the Women’s Nest. She has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine. Melissa is currently collaborating on the film adaption of Megan’s Way.
Melissa’s books on Amazon
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Melissa Foster is a New York Time and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women's fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page.