Every business has practices that participants try to follow, believing they are best practices.

Writing is no exception. Large numbers of blogs and books are written on how to launch a book. And, each includes a long checklist that starts months before publication. After publication, there’s more promoting: newsletters, more blogs, book signings, blog tours, social media participation, ads, and more.

Not to mention, joining writing organizations, attending conferences, subscribing to newsletters, and taking classes.

Truthfully, the list of things a writer should do, whether indie or traditionally published, is overwhelming.

Most writers say their joy comes from the writing. I don’t know of a writer, yet, who says they love promoting their books.

I’m no exception. My joy comes from writing, teaching, and helping other writers.

After much analysis of how I spent my time in 2023 (60% promoting, 30% writing, 10% everything else), I realized that to flip those numbers, I needed to make drastic changes. I began asking questions like, Do I really want to do this? Do I need to do it?

I concluded that…

I’ll do book signings when readers clamor for them.

I have a newsletter, but it’s an announcement-only newsletter, which means I send them out only a few times a year. Producing a regular newsletter doesn’t work for me.

I’m on social media, but I don’t like doing videos or podcasts. So, I’m highly active on only a few platforms.

I still have big goals, but better yet, I have great writing habits that move me toward achieving them.

As a result of my changes, in 2024, I spent 80% of my time writing and 10% promoting. Because I believe a backlist is important, I wanted to produce more.

Finally, I stopped comparing my activities to other writers. I allowed myself to be different, to do me. Now, I only compare myself to how I’m doing this year compared to last year.

And when I read a book from an unknown (to me) author, I took comfort in later discovering her method was even more extreme than mine.

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The Tale of One Author Who Did It Her Way and Still Does

After I read one book by this author, a book she’d published after about 15 other books, I learned she had written about 24 books total, so far. I found her 30,000 members strong fan group of mostly readers and some writers and joined.

I began reading her earlier books. While they weren’t as riveting as the first one I read, as I moved through her backlist, I could see how her writing improved.

Her print and eBooks were sold only through Amazon. She was an indie author who did no book signings, no interviews, no publicity, and minimum advertising on Amazon.

Suddenly, her fan base blew up and her books started hitting the best-seller lists. At one time, she had three books in the top ten. Publishers began seeking her out, republishing her books.

Now, her fan group has 170,000 members. She has two publishers with print books everywhere and audiobooks online in libraries. She continues to be in the top ten of the best-selling lists, and she still participates in her Facebook group where she started. She’s vowed her eBooks will always remain in Kindle Unlimited. Today, she has an agent, and her most popular book is being made into a movie.

While she doesn’t do book signings, she does sign books that are sold through the bookstores, plus she sells bookplates that are signed. They’re just one product on her website, products readers requested,

Lightning struck because she authored great stories readers wanted to read. She wrote for pure enjoyment, then started publishing them just to share. She wasn’t interested in making money; she already had a career—as a doctor.

She did her.

She’s my role model.

Her name is Freida McFadden.

While I’d love to be earning a living from my writing and don’t have a secondary career anymore, I’m doing me and trying to manifest my own lightning strike. Thus, my focus is to author great stories and to share what I’ve learned. Hopefully, one day, I’ll have a rabid fan base, as well.

In the meantime, I’m excited every time I open a box of newly published books and find immense joy in the writing.

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Your takeaway: Take time to try different activities, but stick to those activities that are a good fit energy- and money-wise for you. Activities that leave you feeling joyful and excited to be a writer.