A Day In The Life Of Author, Patrice
The other day, I was talking with one of my sisters on the phone. I had told her what all I had been up to lately regarding writing, creating digital products, etc., and she mentioned how extremely organized I seem to be. This conversation then inspired me to write about what most of my days look like. Of course, there are exceptions, and my summers look a little different than through the fall and winter months.
I start my morning anywhere between 6:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. (It depends on what all I have to do that day, or how well I slept!). After getting ready for the day, I go into my office space, and I look at my business calendar. This calendar is where I write what I need to do (on a specific day), such as phone calls I need to make or follow up on, what I need to focus on (these are things that I have prioritized), and what my main goal is for that day. If it is too early to make phone calls, I begin on the other tasks. I usually tackle the smaller tasks first to get them out of the way. Then, I am ready to make the phone calls. After that, I work on the main task (which is my goal for that day, whether it be writing, doing a self-edit, researching, etc.). I am very thankful that I am organized. I was raised to be that way, and I cannot imagine if I weren’t.
Mondays are designated for writing my blogs. If I am going to be gone on a Monday, I allocate time on Sunday to write the blog, and then I can set it to publish Monday morning. This is my number-one priority on Mondays. I also consider my deadlines and what needs to be accomplished that week (as a whole). Since I am currently a self-publisher, I have to set deadlines for myself. Otherwise, nothing would get finished!
Besides writing my blog each week, if I am writing a book, it becomes my main goal (not just daily but weekly) until I am finished writing it. For instance, I just finished writing a how-to book for adults who want to write a children’s book, but need guidance through the whole process. So, early on, I set a deadline for when I wanted to complete the writing process, when I needed to have it edited, and when I wanted it published. For months, this was my main focus, and I would spend most of my day writing. When I began writing this book, most of the research was done, because I had researched for three years before I wrote my first children’s book. However, when I got to the chapter regarding Print On Demand companies (POD), I had to spend a couple of weeks going back and researching them again, just in case things had changed within three years. Once I finished writing, I spent about a week or so editing it page by page. I like to do this (even though I also edit as I write) before I give it to my editor.
Once a certain task is out of my hands, for instance, when my manuscript(s) are with my editor, I utilize this time to order my ISBN, barcode, and LCCN. Ordering these does not take long (about thirty minutes to an hour). Then I switch to my digital products. I might spend anywhere from one day to a week creating, designing, and getting them on various formats so they can be purchased. Sometimes, I have a few projects going all at once. When this is the case, I break the week up, concentrating on one project for a few days, and then the other for the next few days. How the writing juices are flowing dictates when I break for a few days and work on something else.
In the summer months, if I want to do something fun during the day, which could mean meeting a friend for shopping and lunch, hanging out with my grandkids, or spending time with one of my adult kids or other family members, I usually will find time afterwards, either later in the afternoon or evening, to work a few hours. With that said, I also give myself a day off, whether it is through the week or on the weekends. If I have an appointment, I will work until I have to leave for it, and then I will go back to working afterwards. Some weeks are easier than others. If I have several things going on in one day and I do not have a pressing deadline, I may choose not to work that day or delay getting started until later. But, I have found that the more experience I have, the easier the juggling gets!
In the fall and winter months, it is basically the same, except when I am substituting. I am a former fifth-grade teacher, but I still love to be in the classroom when I can. On the days that I sub, I will work a couple of hours after dinner. If I sub on a day when there are specials or a teacher’s planning time, I will usually take some work with me. I try to utilize every minute I can.
If it is a week when I have a book event, I prepare for it first, so when the event comes, I am not scrambling at the last minute. Then, I will concentrate on other projects. At the end of the month, I print out all of my invoices. These are monthly subscriptions I need for my book business in order for me to do my job effectively. For example, I have to have a host for my book email and website. I also subscribe to Canva, which is used to design my digital products. I have the monthly subscriptions on autopay. When I get the email of the paid invoice, at the end of the month, I go through and highlight the date, who it is, and the amount. Then, I input the information into a spreadsheet (that is specifically for authors) that I downloaded. This makes tax time a lot easier. I also do this anytime I have a receipt for something I have had to buy for my book business. Once everything is put on the spreadsheet, it is filed in a specific folder so that at tax time, I can take everything out of the folder, along with printing the spreadsheet, and pay taxes.
For lunch, if I eat, I will work while I am eating. I usually try not to work past five or six in the evening; however, if I got a late start, subbed all day, or am on a roll and the creative juices are flowing, I may work anywhere from eight to ten. I will stop to fix dinner and eat, and then go back to it. One of the things I have found out about myself, becoming an author, is that sometimes it is hard to quit working for the day, but I have learned that it is necessary. Everyone needs a good balance between working (whatever that may be) and living life.
There is always a lot to do, and sometimes things pop up that require attention that was not planned for that day, so you just have to allow for that, handle those things, and move on. But staying organized and focusing on what is important each day is a plus! And, once everything is finished and published, the process starts over again.
