The Year in Review ~ How’d my writer self do? #WriterWednesday #NewYearsResolutions #WritersLife
If you read my blog regularly, then not only do I LOVE you, but you also know 2018 was not my year. It wasn’t the worst year ever. I’m not having major health issues or anything, although there were a few scares, which is pretty normal at this age. (Even though it’s sometimes hard to remember arthritis isn’t the end of the world when you realize you will never just go for a run again – ever.) It was just a tough year culminating with our business managers stealing from us and nearly running our business in Germany into the ground. So, yeah, not awesome.
But surely, that aside, I must have met some of my New Years Resolutions? It can’t have all been bad. Well, let’s have a look at that, shall we? I’m taking this from bad to not so bad so as to make it seem like I improved as the year progressed. Oh, the lies we tell ourselves!
I’m actually not upset with this ‘complete and utter’ failure. High on the new year, I joined a bunch of writer groups in January last year. I soon learned everyone used these groups to promote their own work. There was no talk of collaboration or helping each other. It was just ‘Buy My Book!’ ‘Buy My Book!’ Lesson learned. LinkedIn Groups are not for me.
I did fairly well in the summer, but then the Germany situation imploded. I love to read. That’s not the problem. The problem is my TBR is full of books I’ve promised to read and review. Instead of choosing books I actually wanted to read, I agreed to read books because I wanted to help a fellow writer out. Obviously, this is not working for me.
I’m such a lawyer sometimes, aren’t I? I technically didn’t do an interview or blog each month, but I did do more than twelve interviews and blogs. With each book release, I do a blog tour. These tours include interviews, character guest posts, and guest posts. For my latest release, Picture Not Perfect, I did three guest posts, two character guest posts, three author interviews, and two character interviews!
I still find connecting on social media difficult. It’s like a swamp and my feet keep on getting stuck in the mud – and there are creepy crawlers in there! I have improved, though. I’ve learned to use hashtags, which has helped me connect with the writing community. Now to figure out how to connect with readers.
This has been a recent development, but it still counts! I’ve decided to use Goodreads the way it was intended – to keep track of my reading. I’ve also decided to become more honest about what I’m actually reading. Lots of not-guilty reads (We’re not calling them guilty reads anymore). Judge away!
I must have been psychic to put this one on my list last year, because I certainly needed it! I’ve always had a general idea of how I want my days to look. Mornings are for writing. Afternoons are for marketing and PR. Sounds good, right? Well, I needed more than a general outline to get my butt in gear. I’ve learned to outline my novels better, and I’m working on a publishing plan for the entire year to ensure I keep my butt moving. *Fingers crossed*
*Takes a deep breath* That’s it for 2018. 2019 is going to rock! And, if it doesn’t, it won’t be for lack of trying. How’d you do on your goals for 2018?
Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
So sorry to hear just how bad 2018 was for you, Debby. I would never have guessed!
You always come across as someone who knows what she is doing, confident and successful. Quite apart from your personal problems, it was an eye-opener to learn you are not so different from me, who also finds social networking difficult! 2019 feels different already, so here’s hoping it will be!
Honestly? I find social networking way more difficult than I can express. I don’t understand how some people have 500 followers and get 100s of re-tweets. How?? Fingers crossed for 2019 for the both of us!
I can’t figure it out either…
I’ve also found that any writer group I’ve joined mainly consists of authors promoting their own books. I’ve yet to find one that doesn’t.
Glad to know I’m not the only one.
I found a group of writers in my genre that really don’t plug each others books, but love to help each other. It is great thing to have found. Outside that, I’m like you in that every social media group is saturated with people plugging their books, and no one who’s just a reader. I haven’t tried Linked In apart from joining it, so thanks for saving me the time.
I think these blog posts must be working for you in some way, because you seem very dedicated to it and it’s one of the few I do read.
Good Luck with the new year.
Thank you. I guess I need to continue the search for a group that doesn’t just plug its own books.
Happy New Year to you as well. All the best in the new year.
In my humble opinion, and from experience, writer’s groups are useless. Read what you want to read, and write what makes you happy, because if you like what you’ve written so will other people. I tend to think spending too much time on marketing and social media outreach takes time away from writing.
All the best for 2019!
I thought the groups were handy when I was a beginner. Now, not so much. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Good luck in the coming year!