It is such a process! What, you ask; writing?
Well, that, yes. But telling people about the writing, that’s the real process. Though the marketing I do is so rudimentary it’s hardly worthy of the name. I know people who are out there plugging their books across multiple platforms every day, and more power to them. Maybe someday, when I don’t have a full-time Day Job, I can level up like that. For now, it’s a case of Do What I Can, When I Can Tolerate Doing It.
Because every hour I spend trying to promote is an hour I’m not actually writing;
the hours I can give to writing are already limited by life; and
the creative fulfillment I receive from writing is a strong motivation to write; but
the extra bit of income (we’re talking less than $25/mo on average) from royalties is not a strong motivation to promote.
But I keep trying, here and there. I have two 2023 titles submitted to the Lambda Literary Awards. Two titles have been submitted to the New England Readers Choice Awards. (Those just went in on January 20; I’m waiting to hear if they’re already full up). I have a title going into the Queer Your Bookshelf promotion on February 2 (remaining for me to do: reset the prices). I advertise monthly at Queeromance Ink and Love Bytes Reviews, and every time I have a new release I pitch it for review in up to five places. I set my own sales for the backlist fairly regularly and promote those where I can. Likewise when my publisher, JMS Books, runs a sale I promote it.
Ultimately it’s a very good thing that I don’t need to worry about paying my bills through writing. Because that ain’t happening.
The writing, though: that’s happening! I’m happy to announce that a new M/M/M Regency novella is under contract and a new M/M contemporary novella has been informally accepted by my publisher. I have a complete novel that I’m almost ready to submit, and a new short story likewise. With only a novelette remaining on my writing to-do list for JMS this year, I’m just about ready to start work on the Next New Novel!
Hint: if you’ve read A Little Turn or Unmasked, you’ll recognize (or possibly anticipate?) the star of this next book. It’s a Hollywood (or possibly post-Hollywood?) romance in which the main character is facing a major career evolution. Hurt/comfort, coming out, and what comes next … yeah, can’t wait to dig into it!