Organization Tip: Agent Lists #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop

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Submitting to agents and publishers is time-consuming. When you’re doing this process, you need to be organized. You don’t want to send to the same publisher twice in one month or send to multiple agents in the same agency. (Many say if it’s a no from one agent, it’s a no from all.) And most agents want the right to say yes or no before you give it to another agent in their house.

Organization Tip: Email Folders #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop

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I like to be organized. It’s true, especially when it comes to being a writer/author. I am my boss. I am the manager of my business. Organization is key when you’re running a business, and that’s precisely what you’re doing.

Previously I mentioned how I keep track of my expenses and earnings. I’ve also hinted at how I use email folders to save receipts and blog tour emails.

Well, I have a lot more email folders than that.

Organization Tip: Writing Backpack #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop

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Being a Floridian, I am no stranger to the dangers of brush fires. When I was a kid, a fire surrounded my house on all sides. I had to run inside and grab what I wanted to save. All I remember saving was my blanket and school backpack.

Ever since that day, I’ve had a very real fear of fires. More specifically, a fear of losing my home to one. This worry resulted in something that has come in handy during hurricane season and severe thunderstorms, too.

So, what is it?

A backpack full of all of my writing stuff, including folders of ideas, notebooks for stories I’ve started, a Ziplock bag with a few old floppy disks, a couple of old planners, and anything else I would not want to lose to a natural disaster.

I’ve had this backpack (well, not the exact backpack…I recently got a new one) for years. As a matter of fact, I started doing this when I was a teen and started seriously writing with the goal of publication.

This backpack holds my world…or, I should say, my books’ worlds and my characters.

If a fire ever threatens my home, I will grab this backpack and put it by the door to snatch on my way out with my cats.

I even grab it and bring it wherever I am during a severe thunderstorm.

Any other time, this backpack is in a plastic container in my walk-in closet. During hurricane season, the things I want safe are inside my closet with this backpack. There is even an empty bucket in there for my computer.

Not only does this help for an evacuation, but it keeps all of my writing stuff together in one place 24/7, so I know where to look when I need to find an old story or idea.

If you don’t do anything else that I share on my blog for organization, I highly recommend all writers to do this.

QUESTION: Do you put your writing notebooks/folders in a safe place?

Organization Tip: Business Cards #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop

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When you go to a book event, conference, or do any sort of networking, I bet you come away with a lot of business cards. Or…if you do it right you should. Why do I say that? Because networking is all about introducing yourself to other authors and industry professionals, giving your business card to them, and collecting their cards in return. You never know when you might need to recall a person’s name who you met at an event or if you may need to contact someone, so getting the cards of everyone you talk to is good practice.

But what do you do with them once you get them?

If you say throw them away, you haven’t been paying attention.

You could dump all of them in a shoe box or pile them in a drawer, but that’s not very organized, now is it?

I’ll tell you what I do.

I have baseball card holder sheets that I slip business cards into. Then I put those sheets in a binder. And voila! All of those little cards are safe and in an easily-accessible place that you can put in a filing cabinet.

It’s all about the neat little tricks when it comes to being organized.


QUESTION: Do you collect/keep business cards?

Organization Tip: Bullet Journals #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop

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I love journals, and when I found out about the concept of a bullet journal, I was thrilled because it combines journaling and lists, two things I use to stay organized.

There are bullet journals with actual dots scattered across the pages. The dots are like the lines on lined pages; you write between the dotted lines. But you don’t need an actual bullet journal, any journal will do.

NOTE: I'll also add that you DO NOT have to follow the bullet journal "guidelines" below. I actually don't use the symbols anymore. I just use bullet points to keep track of the writerly (and fun) things I do each day. You can make it your own!

There are several things you can do in your bullet journal:

-      Number the pages so you can create an index at the front of the journal. Whenever you add something new to your journal, you can put it in the index so you can find it easily.

-      Monthly Log – On a couple of pages, create a list of all the dates down the left margin with the first letter of day.

For example:

1M

2T

3W

4T

5F

6S

7S

8M

Then use the log to keep track of things on your schedule, such as appointments, birthdays, and big tasks.

-      Daily Log – Put the date at the top and beneath it, record the tasks you need to do that day or the things you did, events, and notes. Either create the daily log as you go or the night before. Don’t do it so far in advance, because things change.

-      Journaling – At the end of the day, you can write about your day on the next page following the daily log.

-      Symbols:

   

          - A bullet is for a task.

          - When you complete the task, change the bullet to an X.

          - If you have to have the task to another day, change the bullet to >

          - If you scheduled the task (such as a dinner date), change the bullet to <

          - And events like a birthday are represented by an O

          - For any notes you jot down that day, indicate it with a –

           - An asterisk shows priority to a task. *

          - Did you get a new story idea, use an exclamation point. !

          - If you need to look into something (research), draw an eye.

          - For tasks that are no longer relevant, simply cross it out.

     For more information visit: www.bulletjournal.com/get-started/

   Bullet Journals for Readers:

     On Litsy, I’ve seen the most creative bullet journals made by readers that lists the books they want to read that month (these people can read a ton!). Many of them turn a spread of pages into an actual bookcase and hand-draw tiny books with the titles on their to-read list. It’s impressive! But others just make a good-old-fashioned list. Doing this helps them to keep track of any reading challenges they may be participating in, and there are many on Litsy.

     Bullet Journals for Writers:

     I don’t actually use my bullet journal to store my to-do lists. Instead, I put my to-do list on a scrap piece of paper on my desk. I have a new one for each day, and whenever I complete a task, I cross it off. At the end of the day, I create a new one for the next day, transferring over any tasks that weren’t completed, and throw out the retired to-do list.

     For my bullet journal on the other hand, I like to keep track of all the things I do (from my to-do list) for my writing career, from writing and editing to publishing and marketing. I love this because it’s a log I come back to it if I need to know when I completed a specific task. It’s also great proof that writing is my full-time career, if that should ever be questioned. lol And it’s nice to see all that I accomplish.

     What I Put in My Bullet Journal:

     - How many words I write.

     - How many pages I edit.

     - How many review requests I send out.

     - If I write/schedule blog posts.

     - If I record or upload new YouTube videos.

     - Updates I make on my blog or website.

     - When I order SWAG or items for book events.

     - When I schedule or send out a newsletter.

     - Blog Hops I participate in.

     - Anything I do for a blog tour or upcoming release.

     - Any promotions I set up.

     You get the idea. Everything is documented. Even non-writing things are documented, such as fun family stuff and errands I do. I’ve actually needed to look at my bullet journal to find out when I had a car repair done, so when I say this journal is something that you’ll come back to again and again, I mean it.

     Other Lists You Can Create:

     - Things you want to try in terms of book promo.

     - The steps you need to take to self-publish your next book.

     - A chapter by chapter outline for your current WIP.

     - Character profiles.

     - Story ideas.

     Oh, and you don’t need an actual bullet journal. Mine isn’t.  Use what you want and make it your own!

     QUESTION: Do you journal or make lists?

OUT NOW!!!

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Open to all from June 4th 2018 – July 6th 2018

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Organization Tip: Promo Goals #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop

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Narrowing down goals from daunting to manageable isn’t just for writing or publishing. (See: Organization Tip: Writing Goals) Many of us have marketing goals that can benefit from this technique, too.

This year, I plan to promote one backlist title a month. 

1. I've drafted out which months will be devoted to which books.

2. I’ve mapped out exactly what I can do. 

For Each Book I Have:

- 3-4 YouTube videos a month (finished 1-2 months ahead of time)
- 1 image for Litsy a week (created ages ago)
- 1 tweet a week (pre-scheduled)
- 1 Facebook post a week (pre-scheduled)

FYI: Litsy is a fun app for book lovers that you can download for free. It's like a cross between Goodreads and Instagram. I love it, and the community there is the friendliest I've ever found.

3. When I can, I'll do a sale for my series and $10 - $20 ads to promote that sale.

I don’t have so much stuff on my list that I won’t have writing time. Most of the tasks could be done in a day or two. Some tasks need to be done beforehand, which only requires some planning.

And the thing about these goals is that I’m not trying to make a specific Amazon rank or sell a certain number of eBooks. Admittedly, those goals are tough. I don’t know what will result in sales or how many sales could come out of what I do. No one does. A goal to reach #1 or sell X amount of eBooks can devastate you if you don’t come close.

For me, depression is a real struggle, and that sort of disappointment could set me back big time, as it has in the past. I know better now not to set such a goal or even look at ranks when I do promo. Then how would I know if they work, you ask? I pay attention to other factors: comments, likes, shares, visibility, and the number of reviews, though I no longer read reviews. Rather, I glance. If I see a 4 or 5 star, I may skim the review, but I avoid anything that can set my depression roaring. Live and learn, right?

Anyway, as I was saying, these goals are about getting them done. That’s it. And those are the best goals because if you set out to do them, you’ll achieve them.

Each thing I do on my list for the month receives a nice, big, fat check. And that feels good.

Remember, don’t burden yourself with a big goal. Give yourself a break!

QUESTION: Do you make plans for promo?

Organization Tip: Word Count Calendar #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop

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This next tip is great for motivation as well as keeping record…a word count calendar.

A word count calendar is a calendar where you can write down the daily word count you reach inside that day’s box. Do this at the end of the day when you don’t plan to write anymore.

After you turn off the computer, if you end up writing in a notebook and type it up the next day, add those words to that day’s word count. After all, typing up your written words counts. When I do this, I tend to revise, so you’re putting in the same effort and thought.

I like to jazz this up with stickers. I’ve seen writers posting pictures on Instagram of their calendar full of stickers to represent how much they wrote. And I had wanted to do that because it looked like a lot of fun.

I use heart stickers or writing days and thumbs-up stickers for other accomplishments, like sending review requests and recording YouTube Videos.

What I like about combining these two methods is that you have the actual word counts visible and you can add a sticker as a reward. I use bigger stickers for those word counts that are 2,000 or more and smaller stickers for word counts that are under 2,000. Even 500 (and 100) words gets a sticker!

It’s neat to look back on the week and month and see your progress. Or even to see which days resulted in more or less words.


QUESTION: Do you keep track of how much you write?

RELEASE DAY HELP:

I'm looking for bloggers to help me announce the release of Write with Fey: 10 Sparks to Guide You from Idea to Publication on June 5th. 

***The release day announcement will contain a blurb, buy links, cover photo, bio, author photo, and a giveaway, so you can add it to any post.***

You Choose: Any day from June 5th - 18th

Organization Tip: Expense and Earning Logs #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop

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PLEASE NOTE: I am not a tax pro. This post isn't really about taxes but keeping track of your expenses and earnings. 

With the start of a new tax year, it’s time for you to implement a good strategy to keep track of all of your expenses and earnings. This is a great way to keep you in your budget as well as organized. Even if you don't make enough for taxes, you will want to keep track of your expenses and earnings, as you never know when you'll need the info.

I have a red binder next to my desk with sheets of lined paper where I can jot down every expense, big and small, as well as my earnings, including sales and service fees I make.

In that same binder is an envelope where I store receipts.

For online receipts that I receive through email, I put them in a folder in my inbox. You can print them as they come and keep the emails for backups.

I also use PayPal for all of my writing expenses and for my editing service fees. PayPal is a great way to keep track of what you spend and earn, because PayPal does the work for you. You can use it to double-check your logs and as another source of proof if you lose the receipt email.

When it comes to expenses and tax deductions, keep a careful record of everything. No matter how small.

Here are the things I’ve put in my expense log:

-      Book event table costs

-      Books bought for events

-      Book event SWAG

-      Copyright application fees

-      Business cards, bookmarks, postcards

-      Author banner

-      Formatting fees

-      Illustrator fees

-      Editor fees

-      Website renewal fees

-      Postage/shipping supplies for mailing books (Make sure you use Media Mail)

-      eGift cards and giveaway items

-      Ads paid for

-      Award contest fees

-      Book easels for my table at events

-      Money lock box for events

-      Rolling cart for events

-      Desk and bookcases

-      Computer/laptop/devices

-      Printer ink and paper

-      Notebooks and pens

-      Internet costs

-      Mileage/Gas for traveling to events                                                                                

Anything and everything you spend as a writer/author should be added to your expense log. I like to divide my expenses into months and calculate each month’s expense. Then I add those numbers together to figure out the total amount I’ve spent. I do this throughout the year.

By doing these things, you will be able to handle your budget better and be ready for taxes.


QUESTION: How do you keep track of your expenses and earnings?

Organization Tip - Release Day #AuthorToolboxBlogHop

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Several people have commented over the years about how organized I am and that they wished they were as organized as I am. So, I will be sharing 10 posts this year detailing what I do to be organized as a writer.

When it comes to preparing for a release, organization is important. And so is planning ahead.

If you self-publish, you get to choose when your book will be released, which is great, because being the one to decide this important date means you know ahead of time what you need to do and when. Or, at least, that’s what it should mean.

When you traditionally publish and your publisher gives you the release date, you may be lucky and know 6 months in advance. Or you’re like me with my publisher for the Disaster Crimes series, which means you find out with about a month to the big day.

Either way, you can have an orderly and neat release.

1.  Before you get your release date, consider what you want to do to promote your new book. For Flaming Crimes, I knew I wanted to do a blog hop and a short blog tour on 10 blogs for a continuous story. That meant coming up with a blog hop prompt for participants to answer.

2.  If you’re doing a blog tour, you can ask select bloggers to host you or let people sign up by using a Google Form. For Flaming Crimes, I chose 10 blogs to host my continuous story. For other releases, I chose the Google Form option.

3.  Once you know the details of your blog tour, start coming up with post ideas 3-6 months ahead of time. A good idea is to jot down fun things you can discuss while editing your book.

4.  2-3 months before release date, write those guest posts. Doing this now means there’s no crunch time to get it done.

5.  Contact bloggers to host you 2 months in advance. Sometimes 3 months is even better for busier blogs. If you’re using a Google Form, set it up 1-2 months in advance on your blog.

For the blog hop for Flaming Crimes, I announced it and set up the Linky list on my blog a month before release date. Usually a month in advance for a blog hop is good so participants don't forget.

6.  Keep a list of all bloggers who will be participating in your blog tour and what post you’ll be giving them. If you’re good with spreadsheets, make one.

TIP: Google Forms automatically creates a spreadsheet with all info (blogger’s name, website, email) if you use one for sign-ups.

7.  Save every email you send and receive from your blog tour participants. I create a folder in my email’s inbox and move each email, as well as my my replies, there.

8.  Email your guest posts and all of your book’s info 2 weeks before your scheduled time to be on their blog. I like to ask participants to please let me know they recieved the info, because you never know what'll land in the spam folder.

9.  It’s also important to be organized with your review requests. Figure out where you can submit review requests. Many reviewers need 3-4 months lead time. So, make a list of bloggers you want to ask and update that list when you get your replies. Once again, save all emails that come in and go out in a folder in your inbox.

TIP: When reviewers accept one of your books, put them on a list for future releases. I have several reviewers I come back to again and again.

10.  Other than a blog tours and reviews, figure out the rest of your marketing plan. Create tweets, pre-schedule a newsletter blast, and set up blog announcements. Remember to do these things a couple of months before, so when the time comes, you don’t have to worry.

Release time is always stressful. Why make it more difficult by doing things last minute or by being disorganized? Go step-by-step with enough time to get things done and release time will go smoothly.