In August, my daughter and I were sick with the flu for some weeks and it wasn’t until I began to feel better that I began thinking of deadlines. The trouble is, despite my desire to self-publish, my fear has been preventing me from moving forward.
As someone who plans on self/indie publishing I have the luxury of setting my own deadlines. If truth be told, I have changed my deadline to self-publish a number of times now. I have been telling myself this entire year that I will self-publish this year and not later. I don’t want to put it off any longer. I have also been blogging about the prospect of self-publishing for a while now, so I don’t wish to come across as someone who says they will publish, but never do. I don’t want to be someone who is all talk and no action and sounding like a complete fraud.
To be perfectly honest, I’m afraid of pushing the ‘publish’ button and exposing myself to the world.
When I thought about deadlines, it also got me thinking about how much do we tell our readers? Mainly, is it better for self-publishers to give them a release date or announce our book’s release once it is actually up and running? If we give our readers a release date that we can no longer meet due to circumstances beyond our control, it could create problems. I would love to hear your thoughts on this matter if you are self-published.
Now that we’re in September (how did that happen?) and the year is coming to an end, I’ve decided upon a date (birthdays are always a good time aren’t they? 😉 ). Now it’s just a matter of sticking with it. The time for procrastination is over, and besides, I’m not getting any younger!
Does fear prevent you from meeting deadlines? If you’re self-published, do you prefer to give your readers a release date or give them a pleasant surprise? How do you deal with deadlines when life throws you a curveball?
The purpose of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds.
Main image courtesy of Pixabay
I have one idea. Pick a date for a cover reveal and virtual book tour. The opening day of the tour is your release day. Distract yourself with organizing the hop and the tour to get you through the fear.
Anna from elements of emaginette
Hi Anna. That’s an interesting idea I haven’t thought of. Thanks for the suggestion! 🙂
Oh the Fear. Yup, another one here who suffers. There’s loads of techniques out there, but I do think that Anna has a great idea in her comment, as it’ll keep you busy rather than allowing you to fret. Good luck with the release – I’ll look out for more news & details of the hop 🙂
Hi Debra. I think it’s a good idea to keep busy at such a time. My trouble has always been I think too much! Many thanks for the good wishes and for stopping by. It’s good to meet you! 🙂
Yes, I have a masters degree in creative writing, Debbie, and yet have never had the courage to send something to an agent. Always self published, but this year have made a vow to take the plunge 🤗
Hi Carole. Good on you for your commitment to send your work out to an agent! I wish you all the very best with it and I look forward to hearing about your progress. Thanks for stopping by, it’s good to meet you. 🙂
I could have totally written this post! I’m hoping to get my debut book out this year too. My nerves are shot just thinking about it. I keep thinking – deep breath & do the next thing. It even works … sometimes! Good luck!!!
Hi Jemi. It’s good to hear that we are aiming for the same goal before the year is out. We can do this! I’ve read as much as I can about self-publishing and thinking that if I’ve got the basics in place, I can build on it from there (well, that’s the plan anyway). Approaching it by doing one thing at a time is the way I’ve been doing it, too. Baby steps! Good luck to you as well and I look forward to hearing about your progress. Holding virtual hands as we take the plunge together. 🙂
I feel your pain. I can be productive on my own, but I get a lot more done with a hard deadline. I wish I respected my own deadlines as much as those set by others, but I’m not there yet.
Hi Janet. I’m usually pretty good when it comes to meeting deadlines, but when it comes to making my own, I have a tendency to move the goalposts. I’m still learning to be stricter with my own deadlines too! Thanks for stopping by, it’s good to meet you. 🙂
I can relate to fear of actually being published. I think one reason I have been struggling so much to really get going on my WIP is that it’s totally new for me and I have all kinds of anxiety about trying to get it published. Of course if I never finish it I never have to worry! I hope you are able to fight your insecurity and get your stories out there.
Hi Julie and thanks. Good on you for working on a different project. It’s good to stretch ourselves and get out of our comfort zones. I tried writing something a bit different last year and had a lot of fun with it. I’m wondering now if that’s the direction I will be heading. I’d suggest to just have fun with your current project and worry about publishing when you’re finished. Best of luck with it! 🙂
I like to have a date I can tell readers about. The main thing I do is I don’t set that date until I am 100% certain the story is done. That means I have to sit on it and wait for the date, but I’d rather do that than set a date and then have life throw a wrench in my plans.
Hi Patricia. You raise some very valid points, which is much appreciated. Thanks for your help and for dropping by, it’s good to meet you. 🙂
The fear, the year, yes the fear. I try not to let it get to me (although hardly at all lately). Also because of the slump I’ve been, the plans I made and deadlines to meet in 2019 will have to be readjusted. And possibly carry over on to next year.
Have to keep reminding myself it’s okay to be scared. Whatever fear is keeping us from pushing that button and letting our deadlines pass us by can be beat. Because at the end of the day it’ll be worth it when our story is enjoyed by others.
Emaginette advised a good point. You can whet your reader’s appetite by doing a cover reveal and blog tour to generate excitement. Then when you finally do have a release date and ready, use a crowdspeaking platform (Thunderclap is shut down 🙁 ) to spread the word
Hi Lidy. I have a tendency to let the fear overwhelm me, but I agree with you that it can be beaten. I need to remind myself how badly I want to be published and not let fear control my life. Best of luck with achieving your goals! Thanks for stopping by, it’s good to meet you. 🙂