Day 249: Simplifying my self-publishing schedule
On Tuesday, I spent about 4.5 hours doing marketing and self-publishing work that needed to be done for the book I'm releasing this month--I had to create the .epub file as well as the interior .pdf file for the paperback, and then set up the books in KDP so I'll be ready for them to go live. I also wrote the text for newsletters for my mailing list to announce the release, as well as emails for my Street Team. Some emails I scheduled to send, but others I left as drafts since I'll need to update them with links once the books are either live or in preorder.
However, on Wednesday I started reading and didn't want to stop, so I didn't get any work done yesterday. I still had some IBS issues, but I should have been able to get work done. However I think I was either lazy or stressed out from all the self-publishing I had done the day before and still have to do this weekend.
I love self-publishing, but I've realized that it can be really stressful for me since I'm doing things I'm not very good at. I'm not very good at remembering all the small steps I need to do for promotion, which usually need specific timing for each step. It's why I created a To Do list, but even with the list, I get stressed about forgetting something.
If I could release the books without my Street Team, without telling my newsletter, I'd probably be less stressed, but since I have to make sure I write those emails and schedule them, it makes my brain feel cluttered and frazzled.
Now that I think about it, while I do need my Street Team, I don't need to send so many emails to my newsletter, do I? Self-publishers that I admire and trust have mentioned that it's best not to aim for a big launch for every single book, but to push promotion on only certain books. I have a blog tour scheduled for this month to coincide with the book launch, but no other promotions for the series for later this year. So maybe I can cut back on some of my promotional work and save my energy for writing books. I could probably expend more energy on my launch for the last book in the series. I think I'll try that and see how it goes.
But first I need to get through my launch of book 2 this month. I've set up the Street Team emails already, but I think I'll eliminate the extra release emails and just announce the release once in my monthly newsletter. That might be less stressful and take less time.
Now it is Thursday and hopefully I can get more work done today. I have to admit I'm still feeling a little stressed, which is making it hard to concentrate.
I wonder if I need to not write during the week before a book launch? I'm pretty distracted and it's hard to switch my brain from all the promotional items on my To Do list back to my book. That might be something to consider for the next book release--to block off maybe a week just to do release/self-publication stuff. If I wait until the week before the release date, I’d get the book to my Street Team late, but I wouldn't mind if they left reviews after the book releases.
***
I did a timeline for release of my book if I eliminated my launch emails and simplified my Street Team emails. I also figured out what I could do ahead of time, and I think I can do most of the work for the launch the week after I finish the rough draft of the book. Then I only need to do a little work about 2 weeks before the launch date, but everything else can be scheduled ahead of time. I also shifted the due dates for certain things to simplify the schedule.
The schedule made me realize I should contact my graphic designer while I'm writing the book so the ebook cover will be ready once the manuscript is done, and so that I can do some of the launch promo stuff. That will really help me because I'm planning to do the bulk of my promo work ahead of time right after I finish the rough draft, and if I have the ebook cover, then I can do more stuff at that time.
When the book is done, I'll self-edit and then send the manuscript to my proofreader.
Then in the week after finishing the book, I'll write ahead of time all the emails I'll need to send: 1) my next monthly email announcing the new book and calling for Street Team members and blurbs from the previous book to feature in the front of the new one; 2) three Street Team emails to make sure they received their e-ARCs, giving them a review link, and a final email on launch day to remind them to review and thank them; 3) my next next monthly email sent a week before launch day that will announce the ebook is available for preorder for a special price.
I had previously sent multiple emails before launch day to my mailing list, since books and articles about launching your book suggest doing this, but I think I won't do that anymore. I'll only announce about the new book in my monthly newsletter.
There are also little things on my Launch Checklist that I can do at this point, too, like creating a page on my website, adding the book to Goodreads, assigning an ISBN, etc.
After I hear back from my proofreader and input the changes, I can start the promotional countdown. I'll schedule all the emails and newsletters I will need to send and compile the ebook and paperback books. Then 14 days before the launch day I can release the paperback version and put the ebook up for preorder.
In simplifying the schedule due dates and also arranging things so that I can do the bulk of it ahead of time, I think this will enable me to have a little less stress for the launch, as well as streamlining the process.
***
Strangely, in figuring out the schedule for future launches this way, I felt a bit less stressed about the launch of book 2. I went into MailChimp and adjusted the emails I was going to send, deleting a couple and adjusting others. I also simplified my launch calendar. On Saturday, I'll be able to put the ebook up for preorder and release the paperback, as well as scheduling all my emails ahead of time. And then I'll essentially be done! Whew!
Now I feel better able to focus on my writing!
***
I didn't do sprints today because I didn't feel like it. I tend to try to write faster when I'm sprinting and I just didn't want to do that today, I wanted a leisurely time of writing. So my writing speed wasn't great, but since starting out had been difficult anyway, I'm just glad to have gotten some words done.
Blocking: time spent: 0
Editing: Time spent: 0
Writing: Time spent: 2 hours, 57 minutes
Writing: Total number of words: 2805 words
Writing: Average speed: 1092 words per hour
Time spent doing other writing-related business: 1 hour, 56 minutes
My takeaway for today: Simplifying my self-publishing helps me to be less stressed about it, and writing out the schedule helps me know the general timeline I need for promotion and release.
My second takeaway for today: Since self-publishing is stressful, I will try to get as much done as I can ahead of time in the week after a finish a manuscript.
However, on Wednesday I started reading and didn't want to stop, so I didn't get any work done yesterday. I still had some IBS issues, but I should have been able to get work done. However I think I was either lazy or stressed out from all the self-publishing I had done the day before and still have to do this weekend.
I love self-publishing, but I've realized that it can be really stressful for me since I'm doing things I'm not very good at. I'm not very good at remembering all the small steps I need to do for promotion, which usually need specific timing for each step. It's why I created a To Do list, but even with the list, I get stressed about forgetting something.
If I could release the books without my Street Team, without telling my newsletter, I'd probably be less stressed, but since I have to make sure I write those emails and schedule them, it makes my brain feel cluttered and frazzled.
Now that I think about it, while I do need my Street Team, I don't need to send so many emails to my newsletter, do I? Self-publishers that I admire and trust have mentioned that it's best not to aim for a big launch for every single book, but to push promotion on only certain books. I have a blog tour scheduled for this month to coincide with the book launch, but no other promotions for the series for later this year. So maybe I can cut back on some of my promotional work and save my energy for writing books. I could probably expend more energy on my launch for the last book in the series. I think I'll try that and see how it goes.
But first I need to get through my launch of book 2 this month. I've set up the Street Team emails already, but I think I'll eliminate the extra release emails and just announce the release once in my monthly newsletter. That might be less stressful and take less time.
Now it is Thursday and hopefully I can get more work done today. I have to admit I'm still feeling a little stressed, which is making it hard to concentrate.
I wonder if I need to not write during the week before a book launch? I'm pretty distracted and it's hard to switch my brain from all the promotional items on my To Do list back to my book. That might be something to consider for the next book release--to block off maybe a week just to do release/self-publication stuff. If I wait until the week before the release date, I’d get the book to my Street Team late, but I wouldn't mind if they left reviews after the book releases.
***
I did a timeline for release of my book if I eliminated my launch emails and simplified my Street Team emails. I also figured out what I could do ahead of time, and I think I can do most of the work for the launch the week after I finish the rough draft of the book. Then I only need to do a little work about 2 weeks before the launch date, but everything else can be scheduled ahead of time. I also shifted the due dates for certain things to simplify the schedule.
The schedule made me realize I should contact my graphic designer while I'm writing the book so the ebook cover will be ready once the manuscript is done, and so that I can do some of the launch promo stuff. That will really help me because I'm planning to do the bulk of my promo work ahead of time right after I finish the rough draft, and if I have the ebook cover, then I can do more stuff at that time.
When the book is done, I'll self-edit and then send the manuscript to my proofreader.
Then in the week after finishing the book, I'll write ahead of time all the emails I'll need to send: 1) my next monthly email announcing the new book and calling for Street Team members and blurbs from the previous book to feature in the front of the new one; 2) three Street Team emails to make sure they received their e-ARCs, giving them a review link, and a final email on launch day to remind them to review and thank them; 3) my next next monthly email sent a week before launch day that will announce the ebook is available for preorder for a special price.
I had previously sent multiple emails before launch day to my mailing list, since books and articles about launching your book suggest doing this, but I think I won't do that anymore. I'll only announce about the new book in my monthly newsletter.
There are also little things on my Launch Checklist that I can do at this point, too, like creating a page on my website, adding the book to Goodreads, assigning an ISBN, etc.
After I hear back from my proofreader and input the changes, I can start the promotional countdown. I'll schedule all the emails and newsletters I will need to send and compile the ebook and paperback books. Then 14 days before the launch day I can release the paperback version and put the ebook up for preorder.
In simplifying the schedule due dates and also arranging things so that I can do the bulk of it ahead of time, I think this will enable me to have a little less stress for the launch, as well as streamlining the process.
***
Strangely, in figuring out the schedule for future launches this way, I felt a bit less stressed about the launch of book 2. I went into MailChimp and adjusted the emails I was going to send, deleting a couple and adjusting others. I also simplified my launch calendar. On Saturday, I'll be able to put the ebook up for preorder and release the paperback, as well as scheduling all my emails ahead of time. And then I'll essentially be done! Whew!
Now I feel better able to focus on my writing!
***
I didn't do sprints today because I didn't feel like it. I tend to try to write faster when I'm sprinting and I just didn't want to do that today, I wanted a leisurely time of writing. So my writing speed wasn't great, but since starting out had been difficult anyway, I'm just glad to have gotten some words done.
Blocking: time spent: 0
Editing: Time spent: 0
Writing: Time spent: 2 hours, 57 minutes
Writing: Total number of words: 2805 words
Writing: Average speed: 1092 words per hour
Time spent doing other writing-related business: 1 hour, 56 minutes
My takeaway for today: Simplifying my self-publishing helps me to be less stressed about it, and writing out the schedule helps me know the general timeline I need for promotion and release.
My second takeaway for today: Since self-publishing is stressful, I will try to get as much done as I can ahead of time in the week after a finish a manuscript.
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