Baker, Barbara - BWL
Publishing Inc. (bookswelove.net)
After the release of What About Me? I panic. Do I need to post another ad on social media? Or have I done enough? Do stories and reels attract more viewer traffic than posts? Is Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram sufficient? Should I try Pinterest or Booktok? Don’t get me going about hashtags. There are so many to choose from. How and when do you know if any of them work? With my first novel, book trailers were in. This time round, they’re old school. It’s hard to keep up with the trends.
I don’t want people to stop following me because they’re tired of hearing about my new release, so I resist all of the above and post a picture on Facebook of a pelican coming in for a rough landing.
Even Google waffles about which is the best approach to increase sales. Have you found the right way to get your book more exposure? And, as if advertising isn’t frustrating enough, checking views, likes and comments
becomes addictive and my thumb aches from scrolling.
I
move on to counting down the days until I can check my book reviews. So I don’t
drive myself (and my husband) bonkers about what readers are saying, I only check reviews on the 17th of the month. I embrace my
vacuum and give the floors a good workout if I’m tempted to peek earlier than said
date.
Yes,
I realize readers have a life. And when they get to the end of a book, they
carry on with that life. Most readers never leave reviews. If they only knew
how much they meant to authors, my vacuum wouldn’t be so exhausted and I
wouldn’t cringe when I ask them to post a review (the reader, not my vacuum).
When
I’m done fretting about what’s next and the fact the 17th
of the month is still a week away, a different worry sneaks in. Can I write
another story about Jillian and her adventures in Banff? If so, what will be
the crack in her world that makes the story unfold?
As
I insert a fresh cartridge in my favourite pen and grab a brand-new notebook,
words from an editor replay in my head. “You need to be a more prolific writer.
You need to get out of Banff and find new characters.” I look up prolific - producing much fruit or foliage or many
offspring. I must have picked the wrong definition. I'm done having kids. Grandkids are way more fun.
A
tarot card reader told me “Stop playing it safe. Write what you really want
to write about.” What the heck does that mean? Is it a coy way of saying
get out of Banff? Ditch Jillian? Who are these people and why do they insist on
taking up space in my head? They certainly aren’t paying rent and they bring on
a wave of imposter syndrome.
Should
I even write another book?
The perfect solution to all these chaotic thoughts about writing – a colourful fall road trip. Maybe Jillian will tag along. Maybe she’ll meet someone new and start an adventure somewhere else. Or maybe she’ll only come for a mini-vacation and return to Banff after all. Regardless, road trips inspire me. And yes, I realize I’m procrastinating but is that a bad thing?
For all those celebrating Thanksgiving, have a fabulous feast and enjoy the fall colours. In Calgary we haven't had snow yet and there's none in the forecast. Although I already have my ski pass purchased, I'm loving the unseasonably warm weather. I hope you are too.
What About Me?: Sequel
to Summer of Lies : Baker, Barbara: Amazon.ca: Books
What About Me? | Universal Book Links Help You Find Books at Your Favorite Store! (books2read.com)
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