The Business of Being a Writer: A Candid View

As writers we often have this vision of what our life will be like - sitting in our writing cave doing nothing but writing. Then reality sets in. Today's episode is taking a look at everything an author is often doing other than writing. 

If you would like to submit an article to Writers' Narrative the email address is writersnarrative@gmail.com

Transcript

Wendy Jones: 0:02

Hi, and welcome to the writing and marketing show brought to you by author Wendy H. Jones. This show does exactly what it says on the tin. it's jam packed with interviews, advice, hints, tips and news to help you with the business of writing. It's all wrapped up in one lively podcast, so it's time to get on with the show. And welcome to episode 174 of the writing and Marketing Show with author entrepreneur Wendy H. Jones. As always, it's a pleasure to have you join me, especially since we're making it up to episode 174. I cannot believe how fast the year is going, it just seems to be moving forward at a rapid clip. Which is why as we I wanted to give you an honest look at what it's like being a writer being an author running your own business being an author printer, because very often we can shy away from the reality and the facts of what goes on and what goes into running an author business. I love it. I love being an author. However, it does take time, it does mean that you have to put a lot of time and probably a lot more than you would if you were doing a nine to five job. Because there's always something to be done. So we're going to have an honest look today. Before we do that, I would like to say it's an absolute pleasure to bring you the show every month I do so every month every week, I do so willingly. And I enjoy doing it however it does take time out of my writing. If you would like to support this time, you can do so by going to patreon.com forward slash Wendy H Jones. And you can support me for just $3 a month, which is the price of a tea or coffee per month. And I would be very grateful. So just think about doing that. And I would it would mean that you enjoyed the show and you want it to continue. So what have an author's life I usually do the intro but everything that I would send the intro this month is or this week is tied up with what I'm going to be talking about today. So over the last several weeks, I have been up to a lot of different things. And I'll give you a whistlestop tour really through the first bit of the year up to me and then what I'm getting up during the rest of the year. And how this is supporting my author business. While the year started off like everyone else, I got lots of writing done because January, everything's quiet. You have the New Year's finished Christmas has finished. People are not really buying books because they've unless they're spending their Christmas vouchers. And there's not many book signings or anything going on. So January came in quite nicely sorted February and then I went out to Israel for a couple of weeks now I had fab time there and I have told you very briefly about it. But while I was out there, I did stuff to do with writing. It wasn't just a fortnight's holiday. Much as I would love to have a fortnight's holiday in Israel, it would be great. But I was doing some work on some writing while I was there. So a couple of nights before I went to to Israel, I presented a workshop to Edinburgh writers group online. And then the next day I got up I went through to the airport. And I stayed overnight. Then I got a flight the next day out to Israel. The day I arrived in Israel, I went to speak to a group of writers in Jerusalem. So in two days, I was talking to two different groups in two completely different countries. And it was amazing what an amazing feeling. It's exhilarating. It's it's enjoyable. And I love meeting writers and to be doing it in different countries. It's just it's such a privilege. The fact that other writers from other countries want to meet up with me, that is such a privilege. The fact that writers groups here in invite me to speak to their groups. That is a privilege and I do not take it lightly. But my goodness, it's also exhausting. Because I arrived in Israel at 3am. And by 7pm That night, I was speaking to a group of writers and I had amazing time. They made me very, very welcome. It was a group of Israeli writers in English and it was so nice to meet them and to talk books and to talk about the Israeli writing scene and what is going on. Then a few days later, I went down to to a lot where I spent a week or eight days doing a writing retreat in a lot and that was amazing. The author Judy Garland packs are Judy PEXA. She writes us she invited me I'm to stay with her at our hostel for a week and do some writing. And again, what a privilege. It really is. It was lovely. But I got to meet so many writers there. I could not believe how many writers I think in two in one week in a lot, I met nine writers, nine, and from different places in the world, from Israel, from America, from Britain, and even one from the Ukraine. And it was just phenomenal that all these writers were in one place and a lot. And to be able to discuss books and writing, under those circumstances is just amazing. I had such a good time. Then I came when I got back from there, I was pretty much into book signings straight away. I didn't have time to get over jet lag to even worry about jet lag before I was doing book signings for a weekend. And I had a great time. But again, it's exhausting. It's never ending. And when in all of this do you get time to write? Well, I did write in airports, I did write in a lot. I did write in Jerusalem, sitting on a balcony that was quite pleasant. And you might as well be doing things in the sun in the summer, although it was a bit cooler in Jerusalem, but I was sitting outside writing in a lot, and that really rejuvenate you. But all the flying around can exhaust you as well. Meeting readers is great sell at doing book signings, selling books is great. I love it. But again, it does take time and it does suck energy. So you have to be careful about finding time for yourself as well. I No sooner had a chance to recover from that than I was running the Scottish association of Writers Conference for a weekend and I was the president of that organisation at that point. So the conference pretty much fell on my head. I did have a team. I had a committee who were absolutely amazing. The SJW Council, shout out to them because they are brilliant. They're really good organisation. So chatting to them was, you know, I had, they were doing a lot of it. But ultimately, the responsibility fell on my shoulders. Thankfully, it was an absolutely amazing conference. Everyone had a good time. And it was finished. And I handed over my presidency. And you'd think I'd have a bit of time to relax, then the idea would be that I'd have a little bit of time to relax. I'm just going to take a drink right now because I'm going I'm getting a bit hoarse. So just bear with me two seconds while I take a slip of something called. But no, I didn't have time to relax, because I had more book signings to do. And I was also going down to London book fair, I was going for two weeks down to London book fair. And I was also going to be doing research at the British Library, as well, while I was down there, so I had a lot going on while I was in London, London Book Fair was phenomenal. It was absolutely amazing. It was so good to meet up with other writers. Huge shout out to be the peers Pierce and Stella Ani. Both phenomenal writers, both great train writers and I met up with them. They're my fellow Sisters in Crime. And we were able to have lunch together we were able to we were able to chat and talk all things books. But while I was at London book fair, I was also spending a lot of time going to different talks and listening to the state of the industry really, I was very lucky in that I heard some amazing talks. And some of them were on artificial intelligence or AI. Now that's the burning question of the moment. And the burning question of the moment is, should we be using AI to help us right or not? Now, there are a lot of different views on this. And this session isn't on AI. But one of the takeaways I got from it, just to let you know, is that we can use it to, you know, if we want to say 20 talks for 20 ideas for writing podcast, and it will give you 20 ideas and under a second. You can do that or 100 ideas for blog posts on writing that sort of thing. It will do it very quickly. You're not using it to write you're just using it like any other virtual assistant to help you in the business of writing. And quite frankly, as you probably gathered we're only in April so far, the beginning of April in my chat here, and you've probably gathered that it can be exhausting. And that's one of the big things with running your own business. It can be exhausting, and anything you can do Whoo to help you with that in terms of getting ideas for blog posts or anything like that, that will save you sitting thinking for hours on end of topics, or different topics that you haven't done already is helpful. And I think we should be able to do things like that. And use it wisely. Now, the debate on whether we should be using it for our writing or not, that's a talk that's a another podcast, and not one that I'm going to go into today. I'm not going to say what side of the fence I fall on at the moment, because I'm still looking into it all. But I am looking into it a great deal. So that's something else that takes up your time, keeping up with what is happening in the industry. Because if you're running your own business, as a writer and an author, you need to know what's going on. You need to know what is happening in the industry, you need to know where it's going soon you need to look at the future, you need to be future proofing your own business. And all of that takes time. Everything I do takes time, everything we all do takes time. But I did get a bit of rest while I was in London, and it's important to rest as well. It was my birthday while I was down there. So we had a day out, went and had lunch went and had a potter around the shops and just generally enjoyed ourselves. And then I also went to see arbour voyage for my birthday. And I was able to relax and rejuvenate and get my energy back. And it was amazing. So taking time out is also important, because running your own business is it can be hard, I am not going to be lie to you. And that is why I wanted to do this talk for you today. To say that it can be hard, because I had no sooner got back from London. Then I was off. On a weekend away that time I did get to relax, which was good. But then the following weekend I was on my way to Orkney and off I went to Orkney and to speak to Stromness writers. Now, Orkney is phenomenal. Ireland is amazing. And if anybody wants anybody, anybody listening to this, if you've never visited Orkney, you should do. Orkney is amazing and I loved it. I loved going to Orkney. There are a lot of islands but I only went to the mainland main island. And I as I say I did a talk to strongness writers. Now I would like to give a shout out to the absolutely amazing author, Orkney author, Barbara Stevenson, Bob Stevenson. And she writes Neolithic Orkney mysteries, and they are brilliant. So I feel that you know, everybody should read her books because what she doesn't know about Orkney isn't worth talking about because she showed me Orkney all the way around it and the history there. Oh, my goodness, the history. It was a whistlestop tour, but I loved it. And speaking to Stromness writers who I would also like to give a big shout out to what a wonderful bunch of people who made me so welcome. And I was able to talk to them about motivating yourself to write and marketing your book. And it was they really enjoyed it. They asked some amazing questions. We had a good debate, we had good discussion. And that's what it's all about. It's meeting with other writers meeting with other writers can help you to, to rejuvenate yourself as well. However, to get to Stromness writers, I had to drive up from Dundee to the mainland, where I stayed overnight. To the so I went as far north as I could in, in mainland Scotland. I stopped and then I got the ferry from an hour and a half the ferry from scrabster to Stromness where I was picked up. So it's not an easy journey, unless, of course you live anywhere near there, in which case, that's fine. But I wanted to do it. One I wanted to see RT K and two, I wanted to speak to strongness writers who, as I say, are a lovely bunch of people. And I love sharing my knowledge. I love sharing what I'm doing. And you could say that probably I could have done it by zoom. Yeah, sure. Right. I could have done it by zoom. But in person you can't beat in person. You can't beat a chance to actually sit down and talk to other writers to look them in the eye to have a debate with them. Zoom isn't isn't as good as it is for meeting up with people. So I then of course, had to drive all the way back from Stromness writers. I got the ferry I got the 630 30 in the morning. I drove down to Dundee, and then I at 9pm That night I was speaking to Sisters in Crime online. They're an American organisation. I'm a member. And I was doing a talk on marketing to them. And it was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed it. They were lovely people. Apparently they enjoyed it. They asked a lot of relevant questions. Of course, this was on Zoom, because it was from people from all over the world. There were people from America, UK, I don't know where else people, you know, France, places like that, all of whom are members of Sisters in Crime. And I saw that was that night, the next day, I got up, I did yet another book signing. And from that, in the evening, well, it was Friday morning for me, quarter past midnight, quarter to three, I was doing a talk on motivation, a workshop on motivation, to group an international group of writers, and two and a half hours. Now, you're probably saying, Wendy, you're not Why are you doing all this? Well, first of all, I love, love love. Speaking to groups, I love speaking to groups. I love helping other authors. But obviously, I'm not doing all this from the kindness of my heart, you obviously need some form of payment as well. So I wasn't being paid, I will be honest, and say that I was being paid for these talks. And that is good. Because I obviously have to earn a crust, I have to pay my bills like everyone else. As much as I would love to do everything for free. And you would love to do everything for free. It doesn't work like that, you know, as I say, we do have to pay our bills. Then this weekend, I was at more book signings over the weekend. I've got more this weekend on Friday and Saturday, we're into Manna Friday and Saturday, I'm doing more book signings next week, I'm going on the book bus with Angus libraries for three hours. And I'm very much looking forward to that. I mean, I love working with libraries. Working with again, working with libraries is a real privilege because you get to meet readers and the libraries are putting their faith in you that you're going to be what you're going to do that you're going to meet the readers and you're going to they're going to enjoy meeting you. So it's a real privilege. And it's an honour. And it's not one I take lightly, because I really do realise that then that's on the Friday, on the Saturday, I have another book signing and then on the Sunday yet another book signing. So that's three days over the weekend again, just in case you don't think that I've got enough on. I am also, I'm also starting up a brand new magazine called writer's narrative, which is a writing magazine. Obviously, for writers, funnily enough, if you didn't guess from the title. And I'll say here, if you would like to submit, you can submit ideas for articles to to writers, narrative@gmail.com. And I will put that in the show notes. It's writer's narrative@gmail.com. And so if you're listening to this, and you would like to pitch to us, then please do send us a message, and we'll discuss it with you and see if your article would be any good for the magazine are a good fit, should I say not any good, that's terrible. That was a dreadful way of putting it, I meant the right fit for the magazine or the right fit for the magazine at that point. So you know, there's opportunities there. But obviously, setting up a new magazine is hard work. And it's going to be free. It's going to be free to start with anyway, we're hoping to keep it free. But obviously, we need to raise money at some point because I can't do everything for nothing. So you people will be able to advertise in the magazine. And we will have obviously there'll be able to pay to advertise in the magazine. So that will pay a little bit for the people who are running the magazine. And then eventually ultimately, if we're making enough out of advertising, then we would like to pay the people that are submitting to the magazine at the moment we can't pay. That's not because we don't want to but because it's just difficult at the moment because there's only so much that I can pay out as the editor in chief and publisher of the magazine. So that has been taking up my time because the first issue comes out in August but we're already preparing it because these things are done three months in advance and I'm also writing for it. What else has been happening while I have been setting up a brand other brand new business See, which is all Scott publishing on retreats. And you're going to hear more about that next week I'm going to talk about setting up that business. The whys and wherefores, the how you go about it, everything like that. But that is funnily enough going to be a publishing and retreat business. And we're going to be running retreats all over the world. But the first one will be in Scotland, the VAT in February 2024. So more of that next week. But of course, getting the website up getting everything running for that, but our bank accounts, payment methods, everything like that has been taking up time. So again, it's all time. It's it's not as easy as you think you can't just sit and write anymore. This is what I wanted to say I wanted to be honest about what's going on. As a writer, I do have pleasant times as well though I don't want to beat you to feel that everything's all my goodness, it's dreadful. I love doing all of this. I love every minute of the writing business. And in July, the first week in July, I'm going to take a week out and I am going down to the Cotswolds where I'm going to be spending a week in a holiday cottage which was run by the lovely Marisa Mortimer if you're looking for a writing retreat cottage, look no further contact Marissa, and, or contact me and I can give you the details for the holiday cottage. And you can spend a week there or a weekend and just do some writing. It's a great place for a writing retreat, it really is the Cotswolds are stunning they really are. So I'm going to be taking just a week out to do some writing. And before you think I haven't been doing any writing, by the way I have, on top of all of this, I have also been writing. And it's just crazy. It's crazy busy. But I love it. I love every single minute of it. And it's an honour to be a writer, I just wanted you guys to know the reality of what it's about to know that you can't just write anymore, there are a lot of things that need to be done. Of course, in the midst of all this, you still got to do you clean the house, make the food, wash the dishes, do your washing, pay your taxes, everything else, everybody else has to do go shopping for groceries, everything has to be done. And so, guys, what I'm saying is, be realistic. Go into it with your eyes wide open, know what's involved. Use your time wisely, and enjoy it. Enjoy every minute of it, don't let me put you off at all. Because putting you off is not what I want to do, I would encourage you to embrace this, with every fibre of your being to do it. As you know, as much as you enjoy, do everything you can, you don't have to do as much as me having sakes, you know, if you feel that you're going to have a nervous breakdown just at the thought of doing all of this, then you don't have to do it. But just realise there is more to it than you think. Because of course you've got to publish books, you've got to liaise with agents, you've got to find agents, you've got to find publishers. I am fortunate that I've got the most amazing agent in the world Emmy Collins of Emmy Collins of top notch and she is working like a beaver beavering away behind the scenes on my behalf. And for that I am very, very grateful. Because it frees me up to be able to do the writing on my Thomas Green Book, which she's hopefully going to be representing for me if I ever get it to her. But again, one of the reasons I was down in London, I was doing some research. So it was you know, there are other things you can do. You can hire virtual assistants and I'm going and got plans to speak to a virtual virtual assistant, you can hire people to do your marketing for you. And again, I am hopefully talking to someone who is a marketing guru for writers and they do on their behalf. So lots of things that you can do to free up time to write. But just be aware that all these things are part of your business. I hope you've enjoyed this look into what a writer's life is like or this writer's life is like. As I say, I will be back next week with telling you about our squat publishing and retreats, why it was set up the thinking behind it, how we went about setting it up the partnership, everything to do with it. So I will be back next week with that until then, keep reading, keep writing and keep enjoying what you're doing. That brings us to the end of another show. It was really good to have you on the show with me today. I'm Wendy h2o And you can find me at Wendy H jones.com. You can also find me on Patreon where you can support me for as little as $3 a month which is less than the price of a tea or coffee. You go to patreon.com forward slash Wendy H Jones. I'm also went H Jones on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Thank you for joining me today and I hope you found it both useful and interesting. Join me next week when I will have another cracking guest for you. Until then, have a good week and keep writing. keep reading and keep learning