J.A. Marlow » Exhaustion http://jamarlow.com The Writer: Socially-Sanctioned insanity. Gotta love it! Mon, 14 May 2012 15:00:14 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Chronic Health Problems and Indie Publishing http://jamarlow.com/2011/07/chronic-health-problems-and-indie-publishing/ http://jamarlow.com/2011/07/chronic-health-problems-and-indie-publishing/#comments Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:35:17 +0000 JA Marlow http://jamarlow.com/?p=586 I have an undiagnosed fatigue problem, and since the middle of March have been in the midst of a flare-up. The older I get the more flare-ups I get, the worse overall I get. It affects my entire life, including my writing life. I wrote an article about coping mechanisms in Vision: A Resource for [...]]]> I have an undiagnosed fatigue problem, and since the middle of March have been in the midst of a flare-up. The older I get the more flare-ups I get, the worse overall I get. It affects my entire life, including my writing life. I wrote an article about coping mechanisms in Vision: A Resource for Writers a while back called “Writing Despite Health Problems” if anyone is interested.

Of course it was going to affect my Indie efforts, as well. I have limited energy. I do not have the energy normal people have. I never will. This meant I had to prioritize where and how my energy was being spent. I do not have any to waste.

So, what is the most important aspects of the Indie publishing world? Honestly, it’s producing. For me marketing has to be put aside in favor of concentrating on producing more for my virtual bookshelf. There is no choice really. It’s either marketing what I already have out, or write. Doing both is not possible (other than the odd blog post and tweet).

Sales might be slow for me right now as a result, but I figure:

1. I just started in the middle of February and readers haven’t really started to find me yet. But, the more I have out there, the better chance I have of catching attention.
2. By continuing to concentrate on producing when a reader does find me I will have lots of items on my virtual bookshelf that a new fan can buy immediately.
3. Having goals within my abilities will not only help me business-wise in the long-term, but also keep the depression at bay about my limitations in the short-term.
4. The Indie publishing business is a marathon, not a sprint. Thank goodness, because some days I can hardly get out of a chair. By thinking long-term I’m setting myself up well for that marathon viewpoint. With Indie publishing, time is on MY side.
5. Writing good stories and publishing them immediately into all distribution channels I can find are the only part of this business I have true control over, anyway.
6. More and more evidence is rising showing that a lot of promotion is pretty much worthless anyway.

Goals? Write, and write more. Make the stories as good as I can. Have fun producing those stories. Doing so will come across to the reader who later finds them.

All of the above is within my ability. One of the hardest things to do is to let go of all the things I cannot do. But it must be done. I work hard to stop the feelings of guilt that come from all the things I cannot do. Guilt also leeches energy from a person. Kill the guilt-monster! ;D

Since starting in mid-February I have a total of 9 items up for sale, with about 9 more in the pipeline for the year. That’s a huge accomplishment. An accomplishment many who do not have these kinds of health problems cannot do. But I did, because I understood the nature of my disability, adjusted for it, prioritized, set goals, and then attacked!

To all those out there who are struggling against their own health problems, let me just say: Prioritize, and then do it. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t. Including yourself.

____________________

J.A. Marlow

My latest novel, The String Weavers (The String Weavers – Book 1), is now available at online retailers everywhere.

Kelsey Hale thinks she’s just a typical mixed-up teenager. Everyone feels that way, her teachers assure her. Yet, strange things happen to her, like food disappearing before she can eat it and hearing music no one else hears.

Then a giant flaming bird drops an alien at her feet. Well, good grief, how can you ignore something like that?

Abducted from Earth, the only planet she’s ever known, Kelsey finds herself thrust into the middle of a deadly conflict among alien worlds and parallel universe. She must not only survive herself, but also find a way to rescue her father from a dangerous group with unknown motives.

In the process, she’s confronted by a hidden secret about herself which will shake the very foundation of who and what she thought she was.

And connecting it all are the mysterious Weavers.

A 97,100 word science fiction novel.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

 

]]> http://jamarlow.com/2011/07/chronic-health-problems-and-indie-publishing/feed/ 10 Survived March! http://jamarlow.com/2010/04/survived-march/ http://jamarlow.com/2010/04/survived-march/#comments Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:13:23 +0000 JA Marlow http://jamarlow.com/?p=214 Surviving a month doesn’t sound like much, but it is when you’ve been sick two months in a row. I was already run-down from being sick at the beginning of February, and then I caught the bad cold bug that’s been going around. That wiped me out! Unable to go to work for a week, [...]]]> Surviving a month doesn’t sound like much, but it is when you’ve been sick two months in a row. I was already run-down from being sick at the beginning of February, and then I caught the bad cold bug that’s been going around. That wiped me out! Unable to go to work for a week, and then it lingered.

And lingered.

It’s official, I’m sick and tired of coughing!

Only now is the coughing starting to lighten up. You know, with a cold like this, who needs the flu!?!?!

Okay, not quite true. The worst flu I’ve ever had was last November, and that one WAS worse than this cold. But the regular flu? Nah, this cold was worse.

Anyway, despite everything I did manage to finish National Novel Editing Month in March. The goal was to hit 50 hours. Somehow, and I’m not sure how, I managed to win with 94 hours. I’m still trying to figure out how I did that, but the month is lost in a haze of coughing.

Now in healing mode. Even more homemade soups with lots of veggies, an apple at every lunch, a ‘protein drink’ every morning (Not really what it is, but what we call it. Lots of stuff we mix into it). It’s going to take some time to build up again, but it all happens in little steps.

I hope your March went better!

]]> http://jamarlow.com/2010/04/survived-march/feed/ 0 A Novel Before Nano – And A Bout of Exhaustion http://jamarlow.com/2009/09/a-novel-before-nano-and-a-bout-of-exhaustion/ http://jamarlow.com/2009/09/a-novel-before-nano-and-a-bout-of-exhaustion/#comments Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:22:26 +0000 JA Marlow http://jamarlow.com/?p=180 Yes, I’m nuts. Trying to finish a novel before Nano starts. In one way that’s a very good thing. Gearing up to Nano means the mind and muse are raring to go at writing. But you can’t start until November 1st. By having another project it satisfies that writing ‘itch’.

The bad part is: For [...]]]> Yes, I’m nuts. Trying to finish a novel before Nano starts. In one way that’s a very good thing. Gearing up to Nano means the mind and muse are raring to go at writing. But you can’t start until November 1st. By having another project it satisfies that writing ‘itch’.

The bad part is: For me personally I like to finish one thing before moving on to something else major. Sometimes I can jump around, but usually only with smaller pieces. I CAN jump from planning, to outlining to writing to revising four major projects, but now writing four major projects. I think each of those steps use different parts of the brain.

Anyway, there are now 35 days until Nano starts. The interim novel, for now titled Phoenix Cafe – Book 1, has been going well. Getting in at least a scene or two a night and even more a weekend.

Then the exhaustion hit.

Admittedly, I’ve been having problems with a flare-up of exhaustion since about May. It’s been going on so long that I’m getting depressed about it. Then I read writing blogs from writers, agents and editors.

And get even more depressed.

I barely have the energy to write thanks to this undiagnosed condition (don’t get me started on doctors. THIS IS NOT ALL IN MY HEAD, YOU IDIOTS!), and I’m supposed to give up almost all profits on a book to be my own promoter? Yes, way back when, a writer was still supposed to do promotion, but nothing like nowdays.

:sigh:

I’ve stopped reading writing blogs right now, as it’s too depressing to think I might be a good writer but I won’t get picked up because I simply don’t have the physical energy to keep up with those writers who can both write AND promote like crazy. For me, it’s either one or the other, not both.

Any other writers that have illnesses like this? Anyone know of an author that has made it who does?

I’m off to get a few words of writing in. Starting the weekend off at 21057.

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