My Biggest Piece of Advice

Today I had a final writers' workshop with a wonderful up and coming author. What I love about Kimberly is her passion for what she's writing about. We had a great last session, and she was expecting to speak with my boss about pursuing publication. Unfortunately, my boss had an appointment that she wasn't able to break. Fortunately, I was able to spend some time with Kimberly not as her writing mentor, but as a fellow author. I was so eager to share with her my experiences that I'm sure her head was spinning by the time she left - because I was talking so much.

One thing, though, kept coming up. Did she have the courage to take on publishing a book? What a strange thought, isn't it for a writer to ask or even consider, right? But it really isn't. Whether you publish with a traditional NY publisher, a press, or even just through Amazon, there is one thing that is certain - YOU, the writer, will have to take control of your marketing. Sure, a NY publisher will market you to an extent, but they will only go so far for an unknown, first-time author. When you go with a small press, it is highly unlikely that there will be any marketing. And, for those who have self-published, well, you know it is all up to you.

I had several thoughts for her:

Create a brand, market everywhere and with everyone, network every place you go, and always be writing the next book.

She has a part-time job, a husband, three young kids. Will she have time to do all of this?

This is a question all writers should be asking of themselves. If a person wants to be successful, then they must make the time.

That led to another question; what is your idea of success?

If it's making a ton of cash, well, writing is not the business for you. Not unless you're lucky enough to be the next Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Stefanie Meyer, of that chick who wrote 50 Shades of Grey.  Aside from the "worldly" viewpoint of success, how do you measure it?

Becoming a serious writer isn't just about putting the words on the paper (or screen); it's about building a brand, an audience, readership, getting yourself out there in uncomfortable positions and situations.

I believe that Kimberly will succeed once she answers all of these questions, just like YOU - do you have the time to devote to marketing, what is your idea of success, and how do you measure success?

Exciting things are happening...

Hi all! I know it's been way too long. Life has been crazy. I'm so excited to share with you that my book, TK's Hockey Rules for Life, is going to be published by Ferne Press. We're just starting out, so I don't have too many details. Once I do, I'll be sure to update here and at my author page on Facebook. Have you checked that out and "liked" it yet? Please stop by and say hello!

It's been awhile since I've blogged. Have been pursuing those goals. Most likely I will need to add a new one to that list, but I'm still thinking about it.

You know when you think your life is going one way, and then something significant happens to change your plans? I sort of feel like that's been building up for sometime now and I've been sort of waiting on the sidelines. Well, the moment has happened and now I have to "sh!t or get off the pot" as my grandma used to say.

Things are changing, and we writers have to stay diligent if we want to pursue our goals (not dreams - writing is NEVER a dream).

So keep your fingers crossed, send prayers, good vibes, or whatever it is you do as I figure out what I should be doing.

My 2012 Goals

The end of 2011 really had me thinking about what I wanted as a writer and as a woman. I'd just started a new job for a non-profit and was unsure of my role. My job at the publisher was continuing as always, so no changes there. I was feeling very overwhelmed with life between two jobs (the non-profit especially because I loved it and it becoming more than I had ever thought possible), a husband, two kids, two dogs, a house that was consistently dirty, and a manuscript that was supposed to be finished. My wonderful agent was having no luck selling any of my manuscripts, and my self-published book had very slow sales.

Being a mother just makes me naturally want to take care of others. This is good and this is bad. The other people love that about me - especially since it spills over into other areas that have nothing to do with my family. But this is bad because I rarely have time to take care of myself.

2012 is the year of Kris taking care of herself.

Here are my 2012 goals:
1. Join a bible study (done)
2. Make my writing a priority
3. Only say "yes" to opportunities that I really want, not say "yes" because I feel I have to
4. Spend quality time with my husband and kids outside of sports (this will be hard!)
5. Meditate
6. Practice yoga
7. Forgive myself if I don't get everything done (another hard one!)
8. Cultivate the friendships I have that are meaningful to me
9. Remember to say "I love you" even to my friends
10. To not worry


I think the hardest one for me with be #3. I like to be involved and many times will volunteer for something or accept someone's request because I feel it's my "duty". That gets me in a lot of trouble - I end up doing things that I really don't want to. By giving myself permission to only say yes when I want to, I think the quality of my life, and of my family's, will increase.

There are several of us who are taking this pledge. To see the full list and to give encouragement throughout the year, please visit Sheri's blog.

Rebel Writer's Pledge 2012

I saw this on Sheri Larsen's blog, Writer's Ally. I'm always looking for something to spur me into blogging. Here's the premise:

"That's what the Rebel Writer's Pledge is all about: rebel against our views from last year that hindered us from reaching our goals, and give us new insight and a fresh start. I started it last year, and figured it was a good way to join us as writers, committing goals and support to each other. Only this year, I'm making it a BLOG HOP."


So either click on the sidebar badge or hop on over to Sheri's blog to join in the rebellion. I did.