At this very moment, I am sitting on a veranda in Summerland
Key Florida staring out at a vast expanse of glacial-clear, maroon-colored,
water while whispering palm fronds provides the backdrop to seagull cries, and yet
I cannot write. Well, that’s not exactly true because I am writing this, but I
can’t seem to concentrate on my current novel. Perhaps, I’m too relaxed? Too
contented? With the knowledge that my books are selling, I no longer feel that
intense pressure to create for hours on end. As I get older, I find myself
enjoying life more instead of sealing myself in a room even while on vacation.
I paid my dues in my twenties when eight to ten hours a day would be devoted to
my books. I paid my dues when I’d say no to friends and parties because I HAD
to finish my latest novel. I paid my dues when every spare minute of my time
was spent querying agents and researching markets. I spent fifteen years of my
life totally focused and concentrating on making it as an author… and now it’s
time to relax and enjoy. Instead of working on IMAGINATION (my latest) this
morning I am going to the beach to take a long walk, and then I’m going to do
some fishing. Of course, I’m not totally ditching my grassroots authorship,
I’ve got two hours this afternoon devoted to writing. That’s enough for today.
Okay, back to business. The KND kids author spotlight did
yield sales of SILENT INVASION but not the amount I was expecting for such a
big promotion. It goes back to my theory that kids aren’t buying up books on
Kindle the way adults do. DROP OUT is still by far my best seller with sales
already nearing triple digits for this month. All my books have sales so far,
but I’m still falling short in the U.K. by a large percentage. I’m not sure if
KDP isn’t posting sales or if there is a glitch. It just seems strange that
sales were soaring across the pond and now they’ve dropped to almost nothing.
When I get back from vacation I’m going to concentrate on turning it around.
I’ve also noticed my blog hits are falling a bit as I’ve not been doing much
promotion while I’m down here in south Florida. I will say the new electronic
marketplace moves at a lightning-speed pace and just a few days away from the
computer can mean losing the interest of thousands of people. The hardest part
for me is trying not to think about that and enjoying the moment. I know, I
know, I sound like a whining baby, but I’m just so obsessed about my writing
career.
Sounds like you more than deserve some relaxation. So true about interest falling the minute you stop putting in effort online - sometimes I wonder how people who rely on internet marketing alone ever find time to write. Good luck with Imagination.
ReplyDeleteMr Ostroff: I happened upon your blog post today. You are a gifted and spirited author. Not having much time to read as of late, I am and was tranced by your blog post of the 911 event and even took time away from work to finish the read.
ReplyDeleteIt was gut wrenching and upsetting but somehow I needed to finish reading it to see and understand what it was like inside looking out rather then the other way around.
Thank you for your post, good luck with the writing, and never give up your craft because you have a gift to share with all of us.