Here is a tasting menu of the advice to writers I’ve read on blogs in the past few months:
Write a minimum of 500 words every day.
Spend at least ten hours a week on your author’s platform.
Post to your blog at least once a week, on the same day and time.
And there’s more!
Go to at least 2 – 3 conferences a year.
Post as much free content to your website as possible.
Create a mailing list and send updates to everyone on it at least once a month.
Submit at least one work a week.
Network daily on social media.
Keep a notebook with you at all times so you can write down ideas as they come.
Spend at least six months on your book proposal before your submit it.
Whew!
I get overwhelmed just reading this advice, let alone putting it into practice. So I’m going to offer a suggestion that’s a bit different—something that has helped turn my own writing life from harried to happy. My suggestion is this: relax.
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If you are tormented with thoughts that you’ll never be able to do all the things you should be doing for your writing career, take a deep breath, and remember this: You don’t have to follow every word of advice you read. You can’t do everything, and you shouldn’t be trying to.
When I first started my author’s platform, everyone I talked to said I should be active on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and MeetUp, write at least one guest post a week on a major blog, and and post to my own blog every single day. Of course, I was supposed to be doing all that while sending out short stories, trying to find a publisher for my last novel, and writing my next major work. Did I mention I also have to earn a living?
Back then, I spent quite a few sleepless nights with my stomach in knots because I couldn’t keep up with half the social media sites I was on. I was spending almost all my time blogging and the rest feeling guilty that I wasn’t making progress on my novel. No matter what I did, I just kept falling further behind.
Finally, I realized that I couldn’t possibly do all the stuff writing gurus were suggesting. I weeded out all but the most essential, and started afresh with a bare-bones approach. When I added on work later—such as deciding to build my Twitter following—I only did so when I felt ready and knew I had the time. The result was a fresher, happier, and more successful writing life.
There are several reasons you should consider taking it easy.
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First, there is no magic formula to good writing or a successful career. The writing and publishing worlds are unpredictable. Nothing you do is going to guarantee you a place in the sun.
I know successful authors who write every day and equally successful authors who don’t. Some of my friends labor for months over revisions. Others consider too much revision perfectionistic.
Two of my friends just landed major book contracts without much in the way of authors’ platforms—exactly what most advice-givers will tell you won’t happen. Meanwhile, I know quite a few writers with lively platforms who are struggling to get their work published.
In short, no one is completely sure what steps will lead to the best writing or the quickest success.
Second, being overwhelmed is the worst thing that can happen to your writing.
Nothing will block your creativity faster than feeling swamped. Following all the advice being handed out in the blogosphere is more likely to leave you choking on anxiety than blossoming as a writer. Your writing life should be joyful, fulfilling, and fun, not stressful and anxiety-ridden.
If you are feeling like you can’t keep up with all the things you should be doing, try this:
Wipe the slate clean. Cut back to the bare essentials of your writing life. If you are writing even a little, you are already doing the most important thing.
Gradually experiment to find the things that work best for your writing process, your author’s platform, and your career. If something fits your writing life well, continue it. If it cuts too deeply into your time and your peace of mind, eliminate it.
Rid yourself of the idea that more is better. Do a few things well rather than a lot of things poorly.
Finally, buy into the value of being comfortable and joyful in your writing life. You don’t have to be stressed to reach success. Take a deep breath. Relax. Love your writing.
What do you think about all the advice we writers are bombarded with? Is it useful or harmful? How do you decide what to follow and what not to? What do you do to keep from feeling overwhelmed with it all?
Hello Jill,
I totally agree with your advice here. I think it is a good idea to take a look to all these advices so as to get some ideas, but they are just ideas not obligations. Stress is the worst thing for creativity and to keep concentration two things that I feel more than necessary to work as writer.
Nice post !
Thanks!