MFRW: #AuthorTips: What to Keep on Your Calendar by Kayelle Allen #MFRWorg #author

Thursday, April 3, 2014

#AuthorTips: What to Keep on Your Calendar by Kayelle Allen #MFRWorg #author

What kinds of things do authors need to keep on their calendars? How can they stay organized and on top of things? There are two basic types of info to track on a calendar -- personal and professional. To be sure they're included and planned for, list personal and family items first. They are your priority, aren't they?

Personal

Personal items such as family events, like picking up the kids from practice
Date night with that special person in your life
Birthdays of friends and family
Personal time off - TV shows that you don't want to miss; a movie you want to see. For eight years, I had the TV show 24 on my regular schedule and never missed an episode. It was a big event in my household and we all gathered to watch it.
Vacation. If you don't rest, your mind won't be clear. Carpal tunnel syndrome is real -- overwork can injure your hands. You'll end up needing more time off than you would have than if you'd simply allowed your body to rest properly. Your body will thank you.

Professional

Clearly indicate deadlines for long term projects (books, articles, drafts, edits)
The release dates of your next books, if you know them.
Contests for which you are either entering material or are serving as a judge
Conventions
Book signings or other appearances
Workshops and training
Birthdays of fellow authors, friends, and fans
Work backwards from book release dates to plan pre-publicity, advertising, guest spots, interviews, blog tours, and submissions to review sites
Plan as many events in the three months following your book's release as possible.
Assuming you'll have at least one book release per year, request guest blog spots throughout the year. Try to be a guest on other authors' sites every month. It will keep your name in front of readers. If you release books more often, this is doubly important.
Release day events
Follow up events for a new book
Chat dates
Guests on your blog - other authors will bring fresh readers to your site. Take advantage of that by inviting others to share material you think your readers will enjoy.

The Last Vhalgenn

Set up your calendar with a routine reminder period for scheduled items. For example, being reminded four days prior to a chat or blog so you have time to do last minute work and promo. Be flexible in your planning. The only thing in life that's permanent is change. Accept life as it comes along. Some things can't be avoided. Deal with them and move on.

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