One of the hardest things about my new found success (small as it may be), is that a lot of other writers trying to find their own path to writing success approach me for advice, help with their manuscripts, and request for referrals. Sadly, I have to tell them I can't.
This isn't because I don't want to. I actually do. But since As The World Dies: A Zombie Trilogy took off and began selling like mad, I have found my life consumed by my writing career almost every moment I'm not at work (or completely brain dead in front of a TV show or video game). Like 95% of all writers, I have a day job. When I come home, I have a husband, furry babies (aka pets), housework, and other mundane things waiting for my attention. Add in the writing projects I have piling up and I barely have time to do anything other than pass out at the end of the day.
I used to devour three to five books a week. I now nurse a book for weeks. I squeeze in reading right before I go to bed and usually fall asleep after 15 minutes. I have a huge stack of books to read, but no time to read them. I now dedicate a lot of time reading over the stories I'm editing for the Library of Horror Press anthologies. Also, I have been asked to blurb books on occasion and I try to read these as quickly as I can. So do I have time to read some one's manuscript? Sadly, no, I don't. Do I have time to critique stories? Write lengthy emails with advice? The answer is no. I don't have the time for personal responses.
But, I don't want to leave potential writers hanging with no advice whatsoever. If you read through my blog, you'll see my own path was a bit odd. As I tell everyone, the road to success is different for every writer. There is no one set path, one set way, or one magic formula. I want to help you on your writing career path, but I definitely don't have all the answers. But what I can do is interview other writers and ask them about their path to their own success.
The first author to be interviewed will be Timothy Long, author of Among the Living and The Zombie-Wilson Diaries. Check back tomorrow for an in depth interview with one of the best new voices in zombie fiction and horror.
True dat, sister! It is hard juggling book promoting with book writing, and if you've got another job, not to mention house/husband stuff -- that is a whole lot!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this, and I totally hear you on the time front. Now that kiddo is getting up earlier and sleeping alot less during the day, it's hard for me to squeeze it all in. I think the biggest thing is to blog and let your fans know you appreciate them, which you indeed do.
Take care and congrats on your success!