by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
The last few years, I’ve kept a very strict writing schedule—mostly because of the deadlines that I had from the two imprints I was working for, Penguin NAL/Obsidian and Penguin Berkley Prime Crime.
Some of the time the deadlines got really close to each other (which no one wanted—not me, my agent, nor my editors), but it just happened that way with the production schedules.
Sometimes I had hurry-up-and-wait scenarios, sometimes I was editing a book with one series and drafting one for another and promoting something that had just released with one of the series.
But it was all pretty much laid out for me—outline due to this editor by X date. Manuscript due to that editor by X date. Revisions back by X date. Pass pages approved by X date.
I’ve finished two books in late-spring/early summer that will come out in in February and July of next year. Now I’m working on a book that’s due in February and will release in 2014. In between, I wrote a book for self-publishing, which I’ll put out in November.
After that—I’m not sure what I’ll have on my plate because I’ll be out of contract. What usually happens is that the publishers like to look at sales of book 2 with the series to see if they want 2 or 3 more books after the 3rd book comes out. With the Memphis Barbeque series, they watched sales on book 2 and 3 and decided to contract me to a 4th book.
Hopefully, after February’s release, the numbers will be good and my editor for the quilting mysteries will ask for 2-3 more books to follow the one coming out in 2014…that would extend my work with Penguin into 2016 or 2017.
But that’s totally out of my hands. If I try to plan for more Memphis books or more quilting mysteries…there’s just no point. I could sketch out proposals for the next books (sometimes they’ll ask for that in the editorial meetings when they discuss extending the series with the publisher.) But there’s no way I’m going to make the assumption the series will continue and write the next books….it’s not like I can just change the character names and use the books some other way. The books are definitely branded to those series.
So…there’s no point in trying to figure out what’s going on in late 2013 and 2014. Looking ahead, in that respect, does no good at all. That’s like counting chickens before they hatch.
But planning ahead for stuff we can control makes a lot of sense. I’m eager to write more Myrtle Clover books. Demand for the series is up, sales are going well, and I’m the one who ultimately decides the future of that series. So my plans, post-February are for right now and unless I find out differently, to write two Myrtle Clover books from March—December 2013 and edit the 3rd quilting book for Penguin for its 2014 release.
Keeping busy by working on new projects is one of the best ways to survive the snail-like pace of the publishing schedule—whether you’re querying, waiting for revisions, or waiting for your book to release. Not only does it keep your skills sharp and keep you busy, but it can result in more stories to query or self-publish.
Why I like coming up with my own production plan for the next year (although I know it might be subject to change):
Deadlines help me stay motivated. I found with the self-pub book I just finished that it’s better if I apply a deadline for it like the ones I get from my publisher.
Seeing my plan in writing helps me approach the year in a more organized way—and I can even have a tentative budget in place for costs and possible earnings.
It gives me information/updates to post on my website. I’ve been actually, pleasantly, surprised that readers actually do seem to want to know what I’m working on. I noticed other writers putting their production schedules up on their websites and decided to give it a go. I’ve had nice feedback on that and a decrease in the number of emails I’d gotten asking when there would be a release for one of the series.
If you’re interested in making your own production plan for the next year (or even a five-year plan…I’ll include that link, too), here are some great posts to help you think it through:
Dean Wesley Smith’s: Think Like A Publisher: Production and Scheduling
This is D.D. Scott’s (a successful self-pubbed author’s) production plan for this year: The Indie Epub Journey: Ebook Production Schedules 101
Another example of a production schedule, with the addition of a business plan, from author Denise Grover Swank: A Business Plan for Self-Pubbed Authors.
Susan Kaye Quinn recommends we develop a five-year plan for our writing career in her post, The Incredible Lightness of Being Indie.
How are you approaching your writing and goals? Have you ever considered a production plan? Do you ever commit your goals to writing?
Image: MorgueFile: mensatic
Elizabeth – First, thanks for those helpful links. It’s so important to distinguish between what you can plan and what you can’t plan. It just drives us crazy and drains our energy to fret too much and agonise over things we can’t control. You’re right that it makes far more sense to plan for things that we can control. And I like your idea of taking your future into your own hands to the extent you can. Right now in my life my ‘day job’ doesn’t permit me to do the kind of full-scale production planning you’re doing, but it makes sense if the time comes when I’m in a position to do that.
Reading this is exciting and scary. But, it reveals that I need to apply deadlines or I will NEVER get the A-Z Ebook published. And, I want to.
You certainly are busy! I like the idea of a production plan on an author’s website. It’s nice to know what they’ve got coming up. Plus it probably helps keep the author organized too.
I’m in trouble because once I finish my third book, I have no idea what I’ll do next.
Elizabeth, I learn so much from you everytime that I visit. I appreciate the hard work that you put into your blog.
Kathy M.
Laura–Ha! Yes, I think a public plan of intent does work well for keeping a writer on schedule! The readers can help hold us accountable. :)
Margot–For you, your production plan could be tailored around your working hours. So yours could say something like: Jan-Feb. 2013–revise book. Mar.–April–query book and start writing book 4 (etc.)
Teresa–I want you to, too! I have to work with deadlines or I’m too lackadaisical with my projects. :)
Alex–Hope you’ll keep doing exactly what you’re doing now!
Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy–Kathy, thanks so much for coming by! And thanks for all you do on your blog, too. :)
Since I’m self-publishing, I don’t have the same kinds of deadlines to juggle. What I WAS doing was putting in 20 hours a week on the writing job, and 20 on the day job….
But this week I got laid off.
So now I’m writing full time. (And blogging and doing art.) It’s all on me. Aside from spending a week to sort out my affairs, I will be making the transition to 40 hours a week of writing and writing business.
I am in a unique position that allows me to do this — but it’s still all on me.
How I plan to deal with schedules is what I was already doing: tie a lot of it to my daily blog schedule, but otherwise, for now, but otherwise, go with the billable-hours. Track what I do, and then assess the results. Change monthly as necessary.
You know I’m big on goal setting! Sometimes they get pushed back, but I keep moving forward.
I hope you get to keep writing those series.
Diane–I hope so, too! Thanks. :) And, you *are* good at goal-setting!
The Daring Novelist–20 hours a week, while you have a day job, is really impressive!
And…oh no. I’m so sorry to hear you were laid off!
And…well, now you’ll have the opportunity to put even more time in on your writing and art. It’s scary not to have another source of income–but I know you’ll do great. Your blog is a great way for you to organize your writing time and motivate yourself. You have a smart approach to your writing.
Until lately, I just set daily goals and when each project was done, it was done. But now that I’m going the self-publishing route, I see from your post it would be a great idea to set firmer deadlines for myself. Thanks for posting this–very helpful.
Hi Jan–The problem that I saw, with myself, is that I’d put my self-pub project to the side whenever something came up with one of my traditional books (which, as you know, something always does–editing, pass pages, reviewing cover copy, etc.) Making sure that I had a firm deadline for my own projects helped me to minimize interruptions to them…so I’d finish my own writing for the day, then work on the other writing, for my publishers. Otherwise, I don’t think I would have been able to complete that book last month…so much other stuff came up.
Thanks for sharing the production plan posts. I like Dean Wesley’s idea. Will implement it for my new project.
Regards,
Robert
Hi Robert. Glad you found the link useful…I thought it was, too. Best wishes for your new project.
hi Elizabeth – this is a great read for me right now – as I can move forward and see where life takes me – I’d like to do some writing – and this can give me some background thoughts for me to think about ..
Thanks – and love the links too .. Cheers Hilary