As you were: back to basics

So where was I? I missed last week’s blog post, but have no real excuse. Maybe it’s just a case of getting back into the swing of things. I’m slowly getting my writer’s head back, and have started promoting again. Over the last month or so, my rankings on Amazon have dropped away steadily, and I can only put that down to the fact that I have been pretty lax in that department. Mind you, my rankings picked up a couple of days ago. I think that was because a small promotion I had planned kicked in on November 1^st. I’ve submitted another for December 8^th. with BookSends. I’m also in the process of working on a project that might help to increase my sales, but more about that in future blogs.

Because we have moved into a new address, there has been a lot to do, not the least getting the spare room ready for me to use as a study. Last week I bought a work desk at IKEA, the flat pack people. It meant redesigning the spare room, but now I have my desk (work station) set up and I can knuckle down to some serious writing (if time allows!). Although I haven’t been putting pen to paper for quite a while, my manuscript has never been far from my thoughts, and I keep making changes: none of which have been written down. I sometimes see things on TV, or in the paper and think of how I could use the idea in my story. Then I bin that because it would detract from the way in which I write and create my characters. I keep promising myself that I will rationalise that way in which I work, and try to set goals throughout the week, but one of the penalties of writing for a hobby and trying to live a normal life, is that no two days are the same. Plus there are demands made on me that have to be attended to. So that’s my excuse.

It’s getting close to Christmas which means a lot to most of us. It means we’ll get busier because of the way in which we view the festive season. But one thing on the horizon for me is that my next book, Past Imperfect, should be on its way to me from my publisher. Publishing date is January, and I usually receive my advance copies ahead of the date. Although I read the book last month (the galley proofs), I will read the hardback with a great deal of enthusiasm and sheer joy, like a kid with a new toy, because that’s how I am with my books. I think is must mean I still have a measure of disbelief that I actually made it as a published writer — a traditionally published writer at that — and to hold the finished article in my hands fills me with a sense of achievement.

However, after all that, I think I have made a decision (my wife says not) to finish writing and concentrate of promotion and marketing the seven titles I have on Amazon. I will have two others of course: The Boy from Berlin, and Past Imperfect, but the rights of those two belong to my publisher. If I complete my current work, I will offer it to my publisher. If she turns it down I will publish it myself. This would mean I would have ten titles in print. Not bad for a boy who never knew he would one day become a fully-fledged author. Wish me luck!