What makes me an Insecure Writer this month?
Not knowing if I have a second novel in me or not.
Those of you who follow this blog regularly know that I finished the first draft of my debut urban fantasy at the end of 2019. I’m now in the editing stages and, though the process can be frustratingly slow at times, I’m confident it will be finished sometime this year.
I’ve been studying various aspects of marketing and selling books for the past couple of years, and one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that it’s quite advantageous to complete at least two books in your series before you release the first one. The idea is that allowing too much time to pass between releases will cause your fans to forget about you. If you’re a slow writer like me, that’s a real concern.
Note: I’m not talking about rapid release marketing, the perils of which I discussed in my previous post.
So, I’ve already begun work on the sequel to my still unfinished debut novel. Crazy? Perhaps, but I’m having fun with it, allowing myself to work on whatever chapter appeals to me at the moment, without the pressure of having to show any of it to my critique partners. I’m happy with the results so far, but will this book be as good as the first?
That’s a fear all debut writers face. Will I be able to do it again, or did I only have one book in me?
Optional April 1 question: How am I and the family coping with the current crisis?
As is the case with most of the rest of you, my entire family is stuck inside the house pretty much the whole day, which means boredom is a constant danger. My son is so bored he actually spent a couple of hours cleaning his room yesterday. Talk about the approach of Armageddon!
We’ve been reduced to the point where we consider any trip away from our house as a sort of mini-vacation. Here are a few vacation pics of our trip to the local pizza place.
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| Excitement is in the air! |
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| Success! |
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| Back home again, ready to recover from our trip |
Our next planned outing is driving to Costco to gas up our car. The family is stoked!
Take care everyone, and stay safe!
ChemistKen