Use Your Time Wisely - Tips for Writers

“Use your time wisely,” was the mantra of my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Wells. Make sure you use available time to work ahead and complete tasks. I can still hear her voice in my head. This applies to writers, too.

There is a lot of downtime or waiting time in the writing process. When you send queries to agents or publishers, you could wait weeks or months for the response (if there is one). If you’re traditionally published, there is also a lot of time between signing the contract and getting your box of books.

Use your time wisely. Write your next book. Many publishing contracts are for a series. If you’ve only written the first book, you will suddenly have a series of deadlines. There is also a lot of downtime after you send the manuscript to your editor and before you get proofs.

It took me close to five years from when I started my first Delanie novel until it was published. I’ve gotten faster over the years. I have a daily quota now when I’m writing a novel. I try to hit my word count during each writing session. It does make a difference. I wrote two novels, one novella, and three short stories last year. I also did revisions and edits to two other books.

Writers need to build their social media platforms when they start writing. Start a blog or podcast. Find ways to grow your email list. Build up followers on your sites. Agents and publishers do look at your sites to see how active you are on social media.

You need to balance your life and your writing time, but make sure you’re taking advantage of the downtime.