… and plan to pace yourself.

I didn’t, and I hope you can learn from my mistakes. Like many writers, I’m an introvert; author appearances were even more draining than I’d anticipated. I had more than a dozen author events for Lost, Kidnapped, Eaten Alive!, and the experience was good for me.

But by the time I was finished meeting and greeting all those strangers I was sick of talking about myself and my book, and had no energy or enthusiasm for submitting my book for awards or setting up a Goodreads giveaway to get more reviews. Those would have been smart strategies for me (and eventually I’ll get around to them), but I burned myself out early and had to take a break.

On the other hand, I have a wide network of published author friends, many of whom are travel writers, and they took the time to write me some great blurbs. I should have recognized the importance of that asset and tried for even more reviews. If I’d been more tuned in to my own capabilities, capacities, and resources, I’d have prioritized differently.

Everyone is different:

You might be have the time of your life on an extended book tour. You might love writing guest blog posts, or already have the experience and connections necessary to get articles published in general interest magazines or specialty publications. You might love posting on Instagram or be an expert at making connections on Twitter.

Take some time to think about what you like to do, as well as what you’re capable of doing. Remember that you don’t need to do everything, and plan to pace yourself so you don’t burn out.

Now decide on launch goals that fit with your capabilities and resources.

Back to Start now.