This month was more about prep work than writing and editing. Many of you are already aware that I snagged myself another contract gig for the spring/summer, so April has been all about training and planning. Yes, I have been working on Skull Daddy II edits, and a little bit of King of Clowns for Throckmorton, but I’ve spent a lot of time catching up and pre-planning all the other aspects of self-publishing.
My onboarding and training for the contract started on the 20th, so that’s taken up a lot of my time. And for May, June, and July I’ll be working a minimum of 8 hours a day for this contract. But I also want to make sure I have time to do my writing and self-publishing. So I’ve put together a 15 hour workday schedule for my weekdays for the next few months. And of course, I will also continue to attend weekend events. But don’t worry, I have scheduled in breaks and days off, and I will be strict about them.
Basically, what all this means is that I will be prioritizing my work and my needs. I may not respond to messages as quickly, and I may not be able to attend certain events. I certainly won’t be able to beta read for other authors this summer (boo… okay, maybe I’ll make the odd exception. maybe). It’s going to be an exhausting few moths, but I’m looking forward to it – thank goodness the worst of my health issues are under control.
The reality of being self-employed and self-published is sometimes you have to take on additional work in order to be able to continue working full time as an author. I had to fire my last contract client – and that happened long before I expected we’d be parting ways – so that made finances a little tricky for me at the start of the year. This new contract will allow me to earn a bit of an extra income so that I can get ahead on bills, invest in my publishing, and give my cats the life they deserve.
I’ve had this conversation with a number of seasoned authors already, and I want to share this with the newer authors out there – there is no shame in doing this. I’ve had to grapple with my own emotions over the past few years when it comes to taking on extra work to supplement my publishing income, so I know how hard it can be (both physically and mentally). Just know that even if you have to get another job, it does not mean you’re a failure. The world is burning, capitalism is destroying us, and we’re all just trying to survive. Wanting to make enough money to buy groceries does not mean you’re failing as an author.
Some of my publishing plans may be delayed as a result of my contract work, but I’m prepared to go with the flow on this one. The books will come when they’re ready.
Until next time, stay spooky!
