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Non-writing Time

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
I struggle with making time for all the marketing activities. I'm willing to do it--I groan and moan hardly more than I do with actual writing--but I have difficulty figuring out quite when to do it.

My current attempt is Marketing Wednesdays. I take Tuesdays and Thursdays off in which to practice being a normal human. Wednesday sits in the middle, so I figure that's the day, if any, to dedicate to non-writing activities. I usually devote about four hours to writing, so it would be four hours for doing things like: learning Mail Chimp, working on my web site, writing blog articles, posting to Twitter and Facebook, and stuff I have yet to think of.

How do you folks manage your writing-related, non-writing time?
 

Rkcapps

Sage
Years ago a friend participated in a learning to blog webinar with some top US guy. He advised Tuesday is the best day to post because stats show it the most read day. Ever since, I try to post on a Tuesday.
 

CupofJoe

Myth Weaver
Years ago a friend participated in a learning to blog webinar with some top US guy. He advised Tuesday is the best day to post because stats show it the most read day. Ever since, I try to post on a Tuesday.
In research circles, if you want people to take part, then there is usually a big red line through posting or sending out anything on a Friday or Monday, or at the weekends. So Tuesday sounds about right. Friday afternoon is a great time to release something you don't want people to read [but have to publish anyway].
I would imagine that Sport blogs get read more on Fridays and weekends [and Mondays?] so there will be exceptions.
 

Russ

Istar
Heh...who has writing time?

So right now I am helping my wife a fair bit with the marketing on her book. I do my part targeted on events and dates. So if we have an event of some sort coming up in say 90 days I have a set of tasks I want to achieve a certain number of days out, say 90,60,30, 10 and day of. I organize my time around a target date and it keeps things humming along better. So she has good appearances coming up at two major conventions this year, and I have timelines on how I want to promote those. We have shorter timelines for smaller events like signings etc.

Hope that is useful to you.
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
That was useful, Russ. As soon as I read the post I realized that the amount of time spent on marketing is going to vary by circumstance. The natural corollary then is to plan some timelines accordingly. Also, it's not just marketing, it's things like time spent sending query letters, or attending an event at a local bookstore (or other networking activity), research for finding a cover artist, and so on. All time spent other than composing or editing. Right now the plan is to allocate 20% (one day in five) to non-writing, but that should flex.
 

Addison

Auror
I manage my time with deadlines. It's a new method, but it's working. Let's say that I've set a deadline to finish a draft or edit in four days, but I finish on the third. Then that free day is spent on marketing.

Also, I'm a night owl. My weird work hours often force me to be an Early Bird. But as I do my best writing at night then I try to do any marketing organizing and planning, even implementing, in the morning. Logic in the morning, imagination at night. I know I'm weird. :p
 

Demesnedenoir

Myth Weaver
I prefer zombie in the morning write at night, but my schedule has turned into write whenever the hell I can, LOL. 4:30 a.m? Check. Midnight? Check. Sitting in the car waiting at my daughter's tutor? Check. By the time I'm worrying about marketing my schedule will surely screw me over again, LOL.

I manage my time with deadlines. It's a new method, but it's working. Let's say that I've set a deadline to finish a draft or edit in four days, but I finish on the third. Then that free day is spent on marketing.

Also, I'm a night owl. My weird work hours often force me to be an Early Bird. But as I do my best writing at night then I try to do any marketing organizing and planning, even implementing, in the morning. Logic in the morning, imagination at night. I know I'm weird. :p
 
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