Avoiding Burn Out

One of the things we talk a lot about here on SVP is how introverts can make marketing work for them, how it’s important to find what you can do comfortably and let go of the rest. I was struck again this week by just how important—critically important—it is to find one’s comfort zone and stick with it.

I’m on an email list with some other kids’ authors and this week they started talking about burn out; as in, how incredibly burnt out they are. They are scrambling all the time, booking events and school visits, promoting their books, worried because they have to carry most of this load themselves, with their publishers providing little material—indeed, even moral—support. And they’re tired, and frustrated, and at this point in their career, they are beginning to question if it’s worth it and if writing is even something they want to be doing.

And there, in a nutshell, is why balance is so vital. It’s a juggling act every writer needs to perform, weighing the needs of a creative endeavor like writing against the business demands of publishing. The two do not mix well, sort of like putting ground up liver in your brownies.

But here’s the thing; for most writers, writing is an act that feeds our soul. The act of writing, while it may be horrendously difficult sometimes, fills some deep, creative need within us. This is a gift we’ve been given in this life, and we need to cherish that and nurture that. And that often means striking some kind of devil’s bargain with Publishing. Because the very last thing we want to happen is for Publishing to destroy our love of Writing. And it can happen.

Interestingly, just like in relationships, it is often the person who wants it the most who has the least power. The more desperate you are to be published, stay published, etc. the more subject to the random vagaries of publishing you will be.

Luckily, there are ways to structure your writing life to minimize this sense of desperation and burn out. One critical way is to find your comfort level with promotion, and do that and no more. You really don’t want to make yourself sick and run down from forcing yourself to do things associated with your writing career that you hate. Soon that negativity leaches over into your writing, which is the kiss of death.

One of my most beloved rules about writing is this: Protect the work. That is our job as writers, to protect our creative work from negative or corrosive forces. You have to come to terms with publishing and marketing in such a way that it protects your work; even, or maybe especially, from the rough and tumble affects of publishing.

You need to protect yourself, too. Step back from the edge, take a deep breath, remember cream rises, and that for most of us, it takes time to build a marketing presence in the book world.

Ms. Viola on Book Tours and Book Trailers

Darling Violets and Vinnies--

At last-- I'm back! Your devoted Ms. Viola reporting in. I've barely been able to get a peep in edgewise with Mary and Robin being such blog hogs lately. For two Shrinking Violets, those birds do blather on, don't they! I had to play the teensiest trick on them to get some air time today. I called them both early this morning and rambled on and on about absolutely nothing for nearly thirty minutes. You could literally hear their Introvert Warning Systems (IWS) going off-- Danger! Danger! Your battery is nearly depleted! They both have scurried off to their respective little forests to recharge.

But, I just couldn't wait to tell you that I've just discovered a marvelous new on-line service for those of you promoting your books. All right, who was that I just heard run screaming from the room? Come back, lovey, this won't hurt a bit. La promessa!

Book Tour offers a free site for you to list your upcoming "touring" events. Now I want you all to go check it out. I had Mary Hershey register this morning, so you can see how hers looks. I'll be after Ms. La Fevers later today. If you are pre-published, do-do-do bookmark this site, so you can use it in the future! If you are published, sign up today, or I will call you on the phone and chat you into a coma.

The second thing I want to talk about is book trailers. Perfetta! An idea whose time has come. This is fabulous promotional tool for you to use! Splendid for introverts. You can make your own, or you hire a student to do it for you. If any of you know someone (or are someone) that likes to do this, please share! I'm linking to one of our own Violet's book trailers-- take a peek at Terry Pierce's book trailer. And, another one that I love is from children's author Mary Hanson for her hysterical book How to Save Your Tail.

As part of Mary Hershey's pre-launch homework, I'm having her make one of these. She will be able to post it on her website, and her blog. Her editor can link it over at Random House's site where teachers, librarian's, and parents will be able to have easy access to it. There are probably other venues that we will discover as well. But let's keep that between us for now, shall we? Don't want to put the poor darling under the table again today.

Oooh, best dash! I hear some tromping from the forest. Vi on the fly!

XOXO
La pace,
Ms. Viola

On Tooting your Horn

This falls under the heading of self-care for introverts. As in, I am needing some bad! I've had a blast these last few weeks with school visits, book signing, speaking at conferences, traveling, working, and writing. I am hugely grateful for each opportunity and all the great people I've met. This is what pro-motion looks like. Selling your next book one relationship at a time.

Each event generates a flurry of emails from kids or students, which I love, but it is depleting. I have one more school visit next week, and then I am signing off for a bit. Going to say no (Introversion 101) to a couple of new event requests. Time to refuel. I don't have a single, solitary toot left in me right now. Maybe one pathetic raspberry, but that's about it.

This week is going to be about napping, journaling, restorative yoga, an artist date or two, and I want to catch a few of the great movies that were awarded last night at the Oscars.

And then there is one of my favorite renewing activities-- tooting my horn about someone else!

Which brings us to National Independent Bookseller's Appreciation Month which is coming in May. Robin and I have begun making plans! For those of you that have been visiting us for a while, you will remember that last May, we dedicated the month to honoring our Indies. (For our new friends, check out some of the fun we had at this link.) We are going to do the same this year, only we'd like to expand the scope and reach. We are hoping to get into the Chase Book of Days so that May will be officially designated for Indie appreciation nation-wide and forevermore. They truly deserve that. Indies are to the book world what introverts are to the human race-- don't you think?

And, we absolutely can't make this happen without you. Yep, you. Will you help? It can be something as simple as visiting your Indie in May and thanking them for their great work. Or, you may want to do something a bit grander. Maybe sponsor a weekly book drawing of local authors? Or, run an add in a local paper thanking them for their work. Perhaps you will be inspired to bake the staff some cupcakes or muffins. Right now, we really could use some of your brainpower. What ideas might you have for actively supporting and expressing your appreciation?

Robin and I sent an email out to about eight of our favorite booksellers and asked them to give us some feedback about some of our ideas. If you have a connection with your local Indie, would you gather some intelligence for us from them as well?

Thanks, everyone. This is our opportunity to give something back to them. Let's put a strong think tank together on this, shall we?

And speaking of horn tooting, it's Monday and that's the day we love to celebrate milestones around here. Anyone have anything they'd like to share? Could be a milestone of any size from finishing a challenging scene to winning the National Book Award. We're open. :-) All entries will be entered into a random drawing to win a copy of Donna Gephart's As if Being 12 3/4 Isn't Bad Enough, My Mother is Running for President, which we blogged about last Thursday.

Hope you all have a renewing kind of week--

Mary Hershey

T Minus Six Months!

Dear Violets and Vinnies,

Successfully launching a new book isn't rocket science, but we're going to borrow the metaphor all the same. For the next six months we are going to be busy concocting some seriously combustible fuel, drilling the data, running control checks, and charting a specific, detailed course for the launching of a book by a big ol' introvert-- uh, that would be me.

My new book Ten Lucky Things that Have Happened to Me Since I Nearly Got Hit by Lightning(Wendy Lamb Books) will be released the first week of July 2008. We are going to break this seemingly overwhelming process down into manageable weekly tasks and projects for me to do. Along the way, we hope you'll share your ideas, too. No introverts will be harmed during the launching of this book. We promise!

Time to load up our breast pockets with nerdy looking pens and mechanical pencils and grab some java. We're off to the control tower. C'mon along!

Mary

To Blog or Not to Blog...

That is the question most writers are faced with at some point in time. Should they invest the time and energy into a blog so they can connect with their readers? Or simply spend the time writing or pursuing other promotional activities.

For one, even though we’re introverts, we are comfortable writing (or so I’m guessing, otherwise we wouldn’t be you know--writers) so using the written word whenever possible to do our promoting for us is always smart. Even smarter, doing it from the relative “call your own shots” environment of the internet. Because, to restate one of our mottos around here, The internet is an introvert's best friend.

So how does one decide?

Do you like chatting? Do you have things to chat about, besides what you had for breakfast that morning and whether or not you were late dropping Petunia off at school? Because if you’re a writer who’s blogging, your blog will also be a professional representation of who you are, not just a personal diary.

Blogs are not about you, they're about what you can give your audience. The very best blogs inform as they entertain. What “takeaway” element are you giving your readers?

And speaking of audiences, who do you expect to read your blog? Fellow writers? Readers? Librarians? Kids? And whoever you’re intended audience, how do you plan to attract readers to your blog in the first place?

Remember, blogs aren’t always about promoting; they can be about building a community, sharing common interests, connecting with people, offering a service.

What will keep your readers coming back? What is your purpose in having them come back (besides having your site meter register high numbers)?

Even if your blog has a relatively small readership, don’t make a mistake of thinking it’s a place to say private things. Anything you say in any e-form can always find it’s way into the most unexpected hands! If you know that you don't tend to self-censor very well, then perhaps a public forum isn't your best choice.

While you really don’t have to blog every day, it helps to be consistent at least. Say, every Monday and Thursday, for example. (Don’t look at my personal blog because it is a very good example of NOT being consistent OR regular. Do what we say here at SVP, not necessarily what we do.)

Still not sure? Give it a try, but perhaps anonymously. Or simply practice in a word document and save your entries. See how that goes before you commit fully to a blog. You might just find yourself addicted.

Or not. And that's okay, too, because one of our other favorite mottos around here is "Know thyself."