How to further your writing career during social distancing
It seems like the world has ground to a halt due to the coronavirus. As a result, many of our normal lives have also stopped.
It’s easy to wonder how to move forward, or if we even should, during this time.
Below are some issues you may be facing as a writer, and some answers that will hopefully help you move forward.
1. “My book is scheduled to release. Now what?”
This is a big fear for many writers right now. Book releases are scheduled in advance, and initial book sales are extremely important.
So when social distancing is the new norm, how can you promote your book?
- Move your focus to social media. Create a book launch team on Facebook, do giveaways, offer to go live with beta readers. Make use of your book’s hashtag and move book clubs from in-person to online. (Zoom is a great resource for this, and something I often use.)
- Promote the Ebook version. Ebooks requires zero physical interaction and still allow readers to read your book. Make use of it!
- Get reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and all the places. Because people are staying home they have a little more time on their hands. Ask your social media audiences to review your book. Reviews go a long way in pushing your book up through the ranks.
2. “I need to build my platform and all my speaking engagements are cancelled.”
I. feel. you. I was scheduled to speak the 31st but, like the world, my plans are cancelled for the time being.
However, this is not the time to slow down on building your platform.
People are spending a lot more time on social media, which means online communities are thriving.
This is a great time to jump on Twitter and make use of the writing community. Search out hashtags like #WritingCommunity, #WritersCommunity, #amwriting, and #PitMad.
Many writers are giving away their books for free to help with quarantine life, and I’ve even seen an editor offer to review work for free.
This is the time to be generous and make use of the connections you can make!
3. Get your word count in.
I get that it’s hard to focus on creating fiction when our reality is so drastically changed. But writers are writers because they write. Profound?
Writers have the power to create perception and perception has the power to change lives.
People need to be encouraged now more than ever, so this is the time to write that story you’ve never had the time to do.
If you’re on deadline, make a coffee, turn on the coffeeshop playlist on Spotify, and pretend you’re in your favorite café getting your word count in like any other Monday.
I have 100k words to edit before resubmitting to an editor, and you better believe I’m cranking it out right now!
Hopefully we’ll never have a time like this again, but since we are making history right now, we should probably do it right.
Which goes back to my original question: Should we even try to move forward as writers?
After all, there are more important things going on than writing the next bestsellers.
Well, history is made from stories.
And writers write stories.
If nothing else, document what’s going on through the lens of hope. And if you do have a deadline to meet, treat it with integrity to the best of your ability.
Publishers are still publishing, and they need books to publish. If they’ve put a deadline on yours, you’re actually helping the economy by meeting that deadline.
We all have a part to play in this.
I’d rather look back to see I was faithful to what I was called to during this time (giving allowances where needed) and ready to jump back into life the minute the world got back to normal.
For me, that means keeping that social distance going, washing my hands, encouraging those around me, and working on the tasks I committed to.
Best wishes on your writing, and stay safe!
Originally published at itssarahrexford.com
