by Anne R. Allen
Happy New Year everybody! Yes, I’m back. Sort of. I won’t be posting every Sunday morning like clockwork the way I did for the fifteen years before I paused the blog last July. That rigid schedule was becoming a burden, and I’ve decided to unload some of my burdens this year.
The Universe gave me a kind of comical message on the subject of burdens this New Year’s Eve. I was happily toasting the New Year with some lovely Courvoisier as I watched the ball drop in Times Square. But just as everybody on screen shouted “Happy New Year,” I heard a huge crash in my bedroom. I ran back there to find the pole in my closet had fallen down and all my clothes were in a heap on the floor. That new jacket I’d hung on the pole the day before must have been too much for the poor thing.
There were jackets and cardigans in that closet I hadn’t worn in years. I’d just been adding new clothing to the closet without getting rid of the old stuff.
So what message did I take from my catastrophe?
“Unload the old burdens. Don’t take on more burdens than your infrastructure can handle.”
What Burdens Are Weighing You Down?
Burdens don’t have to be worn out shirts and out-of-date jackets. They don’t have to be things at all. Old, tired ideas and misconceptions can weigh us down too, especially if you’re just starting your writing journey.
The world is full of misconceptions of what a writer’s life is like, or what it “should” be like. An awful lot of beginning writers have these burdens in their brains. In order to find your own version of success as a writer, you need to let go of the old, false ideas that weigh you down.
I was burdened by this stuff myself when I was starting out, and I hate to think of all the cringey things I said and did before I finally got it.
1) Real Writers Make Pots of Money From Their Writing.
Far from true. Even bestsellers have to scrimp. And money comes in by dribbles and drabbles and it’s never there when you need it. Just ask Ruth Harris, who’s a million-copy bestseller.
And how often do we hear about writers in the past who started writing to support the family after their husband died. Thing is — that was over 100 years ago. Right now, beginning writers can’t support a family of gerbils.
I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I was burdened by this myth. As soon as I landed my first agent, I quit my day job and moved to the beach. Really.
Of course I had to get another job immediately, and that agent never sold my book.
I believed the popular myth that unknown writers get big advances. We hear about these huge advances that famous people are getting all the time. But that’s because they’re famous. If you’re not, it’s highly unlikely you’ll make enough to live on with a debut novel.
2) You’re Ready for Prime Time with Your First Book
Oh, yeah. I was convinced of this. I queried my first novel years before I should have. The synopsis was a tangled mess, the queries were cringe, and my book was too long and screamed for an editor.
My second book wasn’t much better. And I queried that to death too. I still couldn’t write a good synopsis, but my bookshelves were filled with copies of the Writers Market and Jeff Herman’s Guide to Literary Agents.
Now that beginning writers have the choice of self-publishing, a lot of first novelists won’t stay on the query-go-round as long as I did. Instead, they’ll throw that half-baked novel on Amazon and wonder why it doesn’t sell. Sigh.
Self-publishing is an excellent way to publish once you’ve learned the ropes, but some beginning writers jump in too soon. As former agent Nathan Bransford says, “There’s a reason it’s rare for writers to find publication with the first book they write. It usually takes a while to get good at it. Knowing how to write a sentence is not the same thing as mastering a craft.”
3) Don’t Bother Reading Bestsellers
Bad advice. Reading what is currently selling — especially in your genre — is the only way to know what your audience is looking for. It also tells you what’s been done to death.
I was such an ignoramus when I started out, I didn’t even know my first novel was in a hot new genre they were calling “chick lit.” And I wasn’t reading it. I was reading classic mysteries, literary women’s fiction, and authors like Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen. Great writers, yes, but mostly not current and not my genre.
Reading classics is important, but when we’re trying to enter a business, we need to know what products people are buying now — not what sold 100 or even 10 years ago.
When I finally got an agent, she sent me to a bookstore with a list of titles. I was embarrassed I didn’t even know most of them.
4) Short Stories are a Waste of Time if You Want to Make Money Writing
Nothing could be farther from the truth. When I finally signed with a publisher, it was because of a short story. The story was accepted by a small UK literary journal. But the journal went under. The editor who loved my story got a new job with a book publisher and asked if I had any novels. I sent him Food of Love and the rest is history. 😊
Catherine Ryan Hyde has a similar story. She had an agent, but the agent didn’t like Pay it Forward. However, an agent with Hollywood connections saw one of Catherine’s short stories in a literary journal and asked if Catherine had any novels. Pay it Forward became a bestseller and then a hit movie.
Writing articles for magazines is also a great way to get your name out there. A few years ago, I was actually asked to write an article for Writers Market. I’d come a long way from my days of endlessly searching its pages for a way to get my foot in the publishing door.
And you’re going to be writing plenty of nonfiction short pieces, too, once you’re published. Like, maybe on a blog like this one.
5) Confidence Sells: Fake it Till You Make it.
Unfortunately, too much confidence in beginning writers is simply evidence of the Dunning Kruger effect. That’s the scientific study that shows people who are most ignorant about a subject are the most confident.
These are the people who are so good at faking it, they’re never going to make it.
Dunning-Kruger people are the ones who are sure their snoozerific memoir is going to sell better than the Bible and say so in their queries. They love to pontificate, and generally use 20 big words when 2 small ones will do.
They also give out tons of terrible advice to their fellow authors.
A bestselling author once told me, “Early on, I took the advice of an unpublished writer who thought he knew everything. This guy got off on tearing apart other writers. The deeper he cut, the better he felt about himself…Interestingly enough, twelve years later, he’s still unpublished.”
Check out my post on Critique Groups, and how they can harm as well as help new writers.
That author’s former tormenter was a Dunning Kruger poster child. Unless he has a major epiphany, he’s never going to be published. That’s because these people are incapable of learning anything — because they’re sure they know it already.
These people generally can’t hear a word that’s said to them, because when they’re not talking, they’re thinking of what they’re going to say next. They’re stuck in a narcissistic bubble that no information can penetrate.
6) Writing a Book Makes You a Writing Expert
This is a biggie. Not every writer suffers from imposter syndrome. Some have the opposite problem. They think writing one whole book means they’ve learned all there is to know about writing. After all, it took them 5 years to finish the thing. And it’s 500K words! They don’t need no stinkin’ writing classes. Why doesn’t anybody recognize their genius? The whole system is rigged!!
But, as Nathan Bransford said, “No one sits down and simply paints the Mona Lisa. Whether you realize it or not, you’re going to start off writing the equivalent of crude stick figures.”
It takes a long, long time to learn the skills it takes to be a professional novelist. You can’t just say “I have a computer and I can write an English sentence, so I’m Stephen King.” But an amazing number of people do.
7) The Writing Life is Glamorous and Exciting
TV’s fictional author Richard Castle has a lot to answer for. Don’t get me wrong. I love Castle. It has just the right touch of humor, and I’ve adored Nathan Fillion since Firefly. But Castle has more money than God. He has a huge apartment in Manhattan that seems to have at least 6 bedrooms, because — writers are so rich!
Then there’s the myth about the glamorous lifestyle of writers. Scott and Zelda on the Riviera. Hemingway big game hunting and fishing in tropical climes. All those beautiful, brilliant writers in Paris a hundred years ago. All that Midnight in Paris stuff.
But you know, even back then, a great deal of what writers did was sit alone in a room wearing ratty slippers, staring at a blank sheet of paper.
Now it’s a blank computer screen, but it’s just as unglamorous.
Time For Me To Take My Own Advice
So what are the burdens about to break my infrastructure? One is the belief that I have to continue blogging the way I did in 2009. I started this as a how-to blog and not an author blog. I’d published two books, but I didn’t feel like an author. (See #1) Yes, the blog built a big audience very fast. Once Ruth Harris joined me, we went from no Internet presence to the top of “Best Blogs” lists in only a couple of years.
But I’ve written a lot of books since then. Now it’s time for me to follow the advice in an award-winning book called The Author Blog: Easy Blogging for Busy Authors:
“Next time you miss a few deadlines, tell yourself you didn’t fail to blog; you succeeded in joining the slow blog movement. All you have to do is skip those boring apologies, and you’re in. Blogging slowly means it will take you longer to get into the search engines, but most blogs burn out after three years, and you want yours to be a platform to support you for the long haul.”
Yeah. I wrote that. Now I have to follow my own advice. From now on, I’m going to make this blog more fun and free-wheeling. I hope you’ll all join me for the journey while I let go of some burdens.
by Anne R. Allen, January 5, 2025
What about you? Do you still blog or send a regular newsletter? Or do you wait until you have something interesting to say? How do you reach out to your readers? Have any of these misconceptions become burdens in your writing life?
TECH PROBLEMS!
We are having some tech problems with this blog. For the last couple of weeks, it has been going offline for several hours at a time without notice. Nate is working on the problem.
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Sitting here, waiting for a blizzard to hit, paying bills online — and my dog is sick — and ‘bing!’ your blog email pops up…
And, as always, it hits something in my own life square on the head and I’m so so thankful for you sharing…
You’re the best, Anne.
Maria–I hope your doggie gets well soon. Stay warm!
Hi Anne!! Welcome back. I was thinking about you the other day while doing dishes; so delighted to find you in my email river.
Yesterday I heard someone say, “it was worth the time…”. —he was talking about study, writing, etc. Your blog is worth the time, Anne.
Coats are especially heavy to carry when the temperatures rise, but oh so comfy in the cold..
Lp
Londie–Many thanks! Great insight about those coats. You’re absolutely right.
I have your excellent book, The Author Blog, Anne. Which reminds me. It’s about time I re-read it!
I decided last year to stop stressing about blog posts. I try to keep my weekly one going, but if I miss it, or if it’s on another day, too bad. And if I think of something I want to write about, or reblog a post on some random day, then that’s fine.
VM–I say several times in the book, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Now it’s time for ME to do what I say. 🙂 I hope the book gives you some blog help, even the second time around.
I get the burden as I feel that way about the IWSG now. Time for something fresh and easier to manage.
And I know several authors that make good money selling short stories!
Alex–I can totally relate. I just have this blog to worry about, but you have a huge community there at IWSG. It’s amazing you’ve kept it going all these years. You sure do deserve a break. Great to hear about writers doing well with short stories!
I love this, Anne, especially your mention of gerbils. What a lovely way to begin a Sunday morning — with a chuckle.
Your comment about about blogging is right on point. If your blog consumes your life, it has turned into a monster. Why write if you can’t enjoy life while you create?
Good luck with a restructured 2025!
Kathy–I think there’s something intrinsically funny about gerbils. 🙂 Yeah, blogs should be fun. Both for writer and reader.
Welcome back, Anne, and Ruth. We’ve missed you.
Rosemary–Many thanks!
So very down to earth. Thanks for the break on a Sunday!
Jacqui–As Ronald McDonald was wont to say, “You deserve a break today!” 🙂
Excellent post, Anne. I’ve settled into a quarterly newsletter/blog post routine based on the four “solar turning points”: the two solstices and the two equinoxes. I’ve decided that those are the most important dates of the year, so that’s when I post. Just 4 times. Plus if there’s a book release or movie deal or something special to announce. But that’s it for my newsletter posts. Presto! Unburdened.
Harald–Sounds like an excellent plan. I like the fact you plan your four posts by the solstice/equinox calendar.
Anne, Happy New Year 2025. And happy new you. Glad you are back. Missed you…and still follow Nathan. I have danced around my life and can say I’m a ‘Me too’ with reflection, discovery, writing down what I think should be next and it’s taken me 2-3 years to get here. Now that I’m here I’m looking forward to the journey thinking learning to be a better writer and finish what I started forever ago is now top/maybe the only goal on my list rather than depending on the deadlines to make me write. I do have one writing deadline left – rotating with my Writers’ Group on our Estero Bay New column Out & About with the Bookshelf Writers. My latest submission currently out in the last 2024 issue is a preview of newly and yet seasoned author Keith George. An longtime friend I had no idea had aspirations to write, but met-up with at the last Central Coast Writers Conference became an opportunity to meet a deadline for the column. I discovered once he retired he challenged himself, but based on a career as an attorney, he pre-research both on becoming a genre writer and his place in the world of publishing. Following learned advice allowed him to produced an engaging first read and became the real story behind the story I ended up writing about J.K George, author of THE EVENING OF BARTHOLOMEW JONES. What’s next for me? To be continued…
Love your current insightful assessment…all true in my humble opinion. And all good info for any level of writer. Looking forward to your next post whenever you finishing culling out the old and hanging up the new to view and wear in your closet. Worthy first resolution to finish.
Judy–You have been a busy little bee! I haven’t seen the most recent issue of the Estero Bay News. So great to have a newspaper (on real paper!) just for our community. We appreciate all your work.
What a great read for me on this Sunday morning with the sun shining so bright in my eyes I have to hold up my 2025 calendar to block out the rays! There is so much we need to know and do …. and know and not do, and I’m guessing we have all experienced most of them. I know I have. It’s so helpful to feel validated for my mistakes and blunders but I “have” learned so much along the way. And a lot of that help came from you, Anne, and Ruth. Thank you for that.
Patricia–Learning what not to do is the hardest part, isn’t it? Enjoy this sunshiney day!
I chuckled at Writing a Book Makes You a Writing Expert. Yeah, you’ve levelled up, for sure, but for most of us it’s more like Writing a Book Makes You Feel Like You Don’t Know Anything About Writing AT ALL.
And about slow blogging, yeah, you’ve already given us more than enough, and know that we’ll be here whenever you post, so enjoy playing about with it and sharing what you like.
Steve–You’re so right. People who want to write a marketable book learn early on that they know nothing. It’s the people writing bad books who think they know it all.
Ahoy Anne,
Welcome back to the blogosphere! And you are soooo right. I may have to spend the rest of the afternoon identifying the equivalent of extra cardigans & old jackets.
CS–And somebody might ask you to repair the whole closet pole! 🙂 Too much useless stuff sure does weigh us down.
I’m glad you have returned! I’m happy to see your advice. This year I plan to simplify my life and focus on my writing. This means getting over my fears of promoting myself. I published a book in December 2024 and told no one. It was a collection of short stories about good aliens, which I enjoyed. Certainly one of the 8 billion people in the world would like it, too. I just need to tell them.
Your wardrobe collapse was a good story that will help motivate me.
Stanley–Focusing on your writing does involve weeding out old things. And for me, it meant ghosting a few “friends.” People who don’t support your writing journey often hold you back. They can be wannabe writers who never write, or self-involved people who want to be the center of your attention. Sometimes they have to go, at least temporarily.
Welcome back.
Beth–Thanks! I admire the fact you blog every week.
Happy New Year, Anne and Ruth! It’s great to see your blog email pop up in the inbox on Sunday.
Yes, I blog regularly, but I have a secret. (Don’t tell anybody. 😎) I post monthly interviews with accomplished authors. I don’t have to be very wise or entertaining, because my guests are those things. And they provide so much insight into the craft of writing. All I have to do is come up with the questions.
Have a great 2025!
Kay–Interviews are a great way to go. They benefit the other authors too, so you’re making friends all the time.
Happy New Year! Glad to hear from you! I’m currently decluttering my life too, both physically and mentally. My goal is to study up on my writing this year. After years of neglect, I sure need it.
Missi–Decluttering is so satisfying, isn’t it? And sometimes you get a tangible reward. I was cleaning out my desk this week and I found a $50 bill stuck in the back of a calendar from 2005! Best of luck with your goals!
I’m always happy to see your blog in my email, Anne. Your book, The Author Blog was one of the few how-to-blog books I read when I was starting my own blog. It was invaluable to me. I did okay with viewers to my own blog which I published faithfully once a week till June 2023. I truly loved writing it, and I was on a roll publicizing my newly-published thriller, Fool Her Once. But in June of that year, my beloved husband, Joe, passed away. We were married 36 years and he was my rock and #1 fan. I haven’t been able to blog or write fiction since then. Everything to do with writing fiction and blogging came to a screeching halt — except the views and visitors to my website!
Oddly enough since I stopped blogging, I’ve had more views and visitors on my website this year than I ever had before. I guess there’s some content of mine out there that gets picked up on Google.
BTW: I loved your blog this week. So on point; so true. Thank you
Joanna–I’m so sorry to hear about your loss! Grief or serious illness can block our creativity for sure. Good that your readers still come to visit your website. I’ve had regular traffic here since I put the blog on hiatus. “Evergreen” content will still bring traffic, especially if you have good SEO.
So glad to see you back, Anne! I abandoned posting to the blogosphere a few years back for all the reasons you mention and took up nature writing, lol. But I’ve been thinking about returning lately. I think there’s something about posting regularly, but not allowing it to become a burden, that keeps the creative juices flowing. I’ve got your book on Kindle and plan to reread it this week!
Debra–I loved your blog! I hope you do bring it back.
Yaaay, Anne and Ruth!!! Glad you’re back. Missed your humor and your down-to-earth, no BS advice.
The Kill Zone blog features 11 authors on a rotating schedule. I post there every other Tuesday. It’s doable w/o being overwhelming. Terrific exercise for self-discipline, meeting deadlines, and planning ahead.
Best of all are the wonderful connections I’ve developed with TKZ followers. Many have become friends even though we’ve never met.
Right now, I’m clearing out year-end files for a fresh start. The closet? Well, maybe later…
Debbie–The Kill Zone is my favorite writing blog. You’ve got a great team, and it’s wonderful to have such diverse points of view.
Anne, it’s so nice to have you back! We certainly missed you. Great advice….I’ve learned so much from you and continue learning about writing, publishing and marketing.
Ken–You’ve done a lot of good marketing for your new book. You probably don’t need me. 🙂
Happy New Year Anne. Thanks for starting off the year with some great advice. And about the fallen rod, been there, lol. I hope you find someone to fix it. 🙂
Debby–Yes, the rod is going to be fixed–by Mr. CS Perryess, the Wordmonger himself. He has been my guardian angel since I’ve been using a wheelchair.
I tried to leave a comment earlier but it just kept “submitting” forever, so I’ll try again. Thank you for the wise advice you’ve given all of us for years! I’m glad you’re planning on doing things differently in a way that fits better in your life. We will all still be here to read your blog. Thank you.
Patricia–As I said at the bottom of the post, we’re having tech problems. I hope they’ll be solved soon. Sorry. I know it’s annoying.
Regarding, “1) Real Writers Make Pots of Money From Their Writing.”
Nathan Bransford, a book expert and bestselling author, recently stated this in an article titled “It’s Harder than Ever to Rise Above the Noise.”
“I haven’t seen a reliable estimate of the number of self-made writers who make a living solely from their books, but… there aren’t many. I’d bet under 1,000 in the entire world. And some of those “livings” are very modest indeed.”
As a self-published writer who has made a decent living for over 30 years, I believe that Nathan’s estimate is somewhat conservative. The number of writers making a decent living can be closer to 5,000 in the world although it may only be 2,000.
Fact is, it’s 10 to 100 times as difficult to make a decent living as writer as it is to make a decent living as a Doctor, Dentist, Lawyer, or Engineer. For example, there are only a handful of Canadian writers making a decent living (+$100,000 per year) but there are 100,000 Doctors, 25,000 Dentists, 125,000 Lawyers, and 250,000 Engineers in Canada making a decent living.
Then again, if there are fewer than 500 writers making a decent living, it’s 1,000 times as hard to make a living as a writer given that there are a total of around 500,000 Doctors, Dentists, Lawyers, and Engineers in Canada.
This from a book marketing expert I hired for one hour of consulting for which I paid $1,000:
“Just 1% of self-published authors make more than $1,000 per month from their book.”
– Charlie Hoehn
Ernie–Nathan is also a former agent with Curtis Brown. He’s also a great guy. 🙂 I’ve met him at several conferences. I’ve quoted him twice in this article. “Book” is a big umbrella. Anything from a nonfiction how-to-get-rich guide to a literary novel is a “book.” Nonfiction how-to books may sell very well to a niche audience who don’t regularly buy books. Sales will depend on how big that niche is and how much of the information is available free on the Web these days.
Such a useful post – thank you. And bought the book, I badly need help on the blogging front.
Judith–I hope the book helps you relax more with your blog!
Good to hear Anne. Thank goodness for guardian angels. <3
Fantastic advice, Anne! Due to a major shift in my personal life, I’ve had to pull back from social media and blogging. I still slow blog on my site, but I had to drop one of my three author blogs and my monthly newsletter fell behind (I wrote one in December, though). At a certain age, we need to re-evaluate what we can and cannot do without sacrificing what we need, like sacred silence and time away from the keyboard. Saying “no” has always been a problem for me, but I’m getting better at it as I navigate my new normal.
Happy New Year, ladies! <3
Sue–I totally relate. As my friend Catherine Ryan Hyde told me many years ago, “You can’t help anybody if you’re dead.” It’s also true that you can’t market books if you’re dead. As we age, we have to devote more time to taking care of ourselves. Best of luck with it all!
“The more things change, the more they stay the same”, says the old adage. I only found out about your new blog post today via e-mail notify on 1/6 and your FB post.
I still peck away with my blogging on a weekly schedule that I am happy with. I cross post it on FB M/T/W and I’m quite happy with my current output 16 years later. I seldom stress about my blog writing now, as it usually takes me three days to write a post for my Monday publishing date.
Happily, I am finally seeing the end of the tunnel with my now five volume lo-fantasy series after 2 1/2 years (note, do not write a series all in one fell swoop. bad for your mental health). I’ll jump for joy for about two weeks, let it sit for awhile, then spend the rest of the year creating draft #2.
“Let it sit for awhile” Wise!
I’m cruising in on the end of the second draft of my historical novel, which I began four years ago. I like being a slow writer, because the ideas, concepts, and details that come along when I allow the work to “percolate” always improve the work.
It will take two more drafts, at least, before I’m satisfied that it has been fully developed.
It’s all good!
GB–Ruth is always reminding me of that. Of course, she says it in the original French: “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. Good to hear you’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
“In order to find your own version of success as a writer, you need to let go of the old, false ideas that weigh you down.”
I think the real point here is that new writers need to discard ALL the ideas and myths they have been fed about writers and the writing life. They are too inexperienced to know what’s real and what’s myth, what’s useful and what’s useless, what’s true and what’s false. (And this is true for most of us, regardless of our status or experience as writers.) And they need to dismiss everyone else’s advice about what and who to write about, how to (or not to) write about it, and when and where to write about it, especially from the self-appointed “experts” who have never put pen to paper or cracked open a book.
Identify your own definition of success. For most of us, success doesn’t have much to do with money or fame. It’s more about satisfying that creative itch, and not second-guessing ourselves after the fact that we didn’t do as good a job as we wanted. We always do better the next time we begin work on a literary project. We find joy in knowing that we did the best we could with the resources and skills we had. Our failures improve our work. That’s how we achieve success.
Happy writing, all! And Happy New Year!
Sally–It’s true. Beginning writers know almost nothing about the publishing business. And their friends know even less. It’s amazing the terrible advice I got when I was starting out. One woman said I’d never sell any books unless I demanded the publisher put shirtless men on the covers. Another told me I should change my genre to vampire romance. 🙂 We all have to define our own version of success.
I blog biweekly because you said it was more sustainable to take one’s time. I’m closing in on three years in the books and I believe I’ve done the right thing by not publishing my manuscript before I was truly ready. That’s because of you, so thank you. Glad you’re back.
Rich–I’m so glad my advice has helped you! Yeah, jumping in before we’re ready (although we’re sure we’re ready) is the right route if you want a sustainable career.
Welcome back, Anne. I missed you and feel energized by your return. Thanks for keeping the same blog format as well. The green background is peaceful and your images are always a treat. All best in 2025.
Ann R
Ann–I’m so glad you find the green soothing. So do I. It’s supposed to inspire creativity. Best to you in 2025, too. From one Ann(e) R. to another.
Another excellent article. Thank you, Anne, I really enjoy your insights!
Jeanie–Many thanks!
Welcome back! I still follow Nathan – and he shared this link. I’m like, “Wait – what?”
Denise–I love it when Nathan mentions this blog. I was very pleased to see it mentioned in his “This Week in Books.”
Just now getting the chance to read this and had to laugh because the rod in our closet fell the weekend before Christmas and we did the same thing – took it as a sign that it was time to clear out some stuff!
Thank you for the reminders, encouragement and straight talk – just what I needed to read at the beginning of this new year.
Happy New Year to You and Best Wishes!
Indy–How funny! I guess closet poles must have been falling down all over the place. Pretty obvious sign, wasn’t it?
So glad to see you back, Anne!
I blog/send out an RSS newsletter once a month where I review MG/YA books from the perspective of a MG/YA writer. I used to kill myself to write 4-5 book reviews every month (on top of my book writing) so that I too, could be an #interestingwriter. (And with only one book to my name, I might add.)
No more.
Now, I write 1 review per month and provide some author updates, and that’s it. I keep the rest of my creative mojo for my books, which is where it belongs. Nobody’s ever complained that my newsletter’s too short. Oh, and I take two months off: one in the summer and one in the winter.
It feels great.
Linda–I love the idea of taking vacations from blogging/sending newsletters. It sounds as if you have good balance there.