Instead of New Year's Resolutions

I'm not one who usually makes resolutions at the New Year. For me, doing so simply sets myself up for failure down the road. Instead, I usually take some extra prayer time, and I seek wisdom and guidance for any things in my life that need to shift, correct, or change.

Having done so over the Christmas and New Year weeks, I've received the compulsion to learn about the "M" word. As a writer for the last seven or eight years, I've learned that the "M" word is one that writers typically abhor and avoid at all costs.

Marketing.

Nowadays, whether an author has self-published his books or has them published by a traditional publishing house, the legwork of the marketing aspect of promoting those books falls onto the author. Gone are the days of old when a writer was flown around the country, all expenses paid, to promote his books. (Unless that author is Stephen King or Oprah Winfrey, of course.)

The promoting work - the marketing - falls completely onto the shoulders of the author. And with that in my full understanding, I've shifted my weekly work schedule. I've been writing four days a week, not five, and designating my working hours on the fifth work day toward marketing endeavors. Saturdays are for hubby and household tasks, and Sundays we rest and relax.

I've been pleasantly surprised. Rather than hating every minute of the marketing effort, I've actually enjoyed it. Communicating with new people and organizations has been challenging, yet painless. I'm learning a lot, and the bottom line is that my weekly hours of marketing time have yielded about 20 scheduled author events for 2020 so far, and we're only into mid-February. Author readings, book signings, presentations, and public speaking - my developing schedule resembles a casserole of all those kinds of events combined.

Oh yes, I'm busy writing a new fiction book and more to come on that in the near future. It's certainly different than anything I've written before. But for now, I'll simply get the word out on what books I've already published. Check them out on Amazon if you haven't already read them. Three books and a series of five Read It, Write It, Live It scripture writing journals. The five include Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Philippians, and James.

As always, if you've read any of my books, I'd love to hear your reactions. Email is easy at jillgoes@gmail.com

Happy reading!