If you look at an author’s public image, you’re most likely to see them talking about their successes and how wonderful it is to be an author, which makes sense, because nobody wants to follow someone who does nothing but complain about their chosen profession. But there is a certain set of problems and struggles that come with being an author. (Some writing related, some not.) So I thought I would take some time to share the top five hardest things for me as an author, and how I’m working to overcome them.

5. Daily word count goals. My energy levels and inspiration levels vary from day to day, so if I set daily word count goals, I would most likely disappoint myself with inconsistency. Additionally, some days I spend entirely on editing/marketing/networking, which would lead to more disappointment. So instead, I use two different measurements for my writing: quality, and weekly goals. The former for my own mental stability, and the latter for the sake of productivity.

Quality: Instead of thinking about what I didn’t get done, I ask myself, am I proud of the work I did finish? Did I create rich and unique content? If the answer is yes, then I can consider the week a success.

Weekly goals: Weekly goals are what keep me on track. Instead of having a daily word count goal, I make weekly goals for myself. This has changed recently through the editing/querying process, but when I was working on a manuscript, my weeks stayed fairly consistent. Write one chapter a week. This was a reasonable goal for me to achieve, while still leaving space for administrative tasks. Some days I didn’t write at all, and others I spent all day writing, but at the end of the week, I still met the goal that I was aiming for.

4. Setting boundaries for my writing time. This is something that I have thought about a lot more after attending a session at WriterCon called The Writer’s Identity. The session was focused on separating your personal identity from your writing, that way criticism and rejection can be less devastating and personal. This is also important because down time is needed to fuel your creative spark. I have recently tried to put in effort to make sure that time off means time off. Sure, if I have a flash of genius in the middle of a Sunday, I’ll be sure to write it down. But in my designated resting time, I will not be plotting out an entire novel or working on blog posts and social media. Though it may feel like wasting time, these things will help avoid burnout in the long run.

3. Perfectionism/impatience. I talked about this in my first ever blog post. I am an impatient perfectionist. I want my work to be flawless in as little time as possible. This is something that I am constantly wrestling with as I try to find balance between the two. I honestly don’t have much of an answer for how to manage it. I think acknowledging the problem is definitely a step, but it’s something you have to deal with on a case-by-case basis.

2. Outlining. I remember the first class I took in middle school that required an outline to be submitted before an essay. (Being honest, I actually wrote most outlines AFTER I finished the essay.) I always thought to myself, why would I need an outline when I already know what I’m going to put in the essay? I still live by that idea to this day, but with some amendments. I don’t like to over-outline a plot anyway, because for me, it takes away the spur-of-the-moment plot twists that my writing is known for. But I have put more effort into creating character studies so that my work will stay consistent. I also try to to have pivotal plot points to work towards so that my story doesn’t meander around. In previous posts, I have referred to myself as a “Chaotic Plantster,” and I believe that still stands.

1. Marketing. I mean this from the bottom of my heart, I cannot stand social media. If you took it away would I miss it? Yes, I like keeping up with my friends and artists that I follow. But would I be unhappy without it? Absolutely not. Trying to make 1+ minute videos for TikTok, 3 second reels for Instagram, and posts with short captions for X is exhausting. Especially when most of them don’t seem to get enough engagement to be worth it. I’ve even considered deleting my TikTok account. (Last post got 7 views.) Marketing my work has been a constant struggle, and a very time consuming one. It’s especially frustrating when everyone else seems to make it look so easy.

The best answer I have for that is to remember that every follow matters. It could be a single follower who shares your page with their literary agent friend. It could be a single follower who sees your words at just the right time. It could be a single follower who writes a review that changes your career. I won’t rely on social media to do my job for me. A high follow count does not equal good writing, and one is far more important than the other. But I try to remember that social media does have a place in the writing world, even if it isn’t the most important place.

I think that the other thing that has helped me with social media is just having fun with it! I may not get as much engagement as I would I spent all my time trying to appease the algorithm overseers, but it’s a lot more fun to pick an aesthetic, and just post about the things you enjoy. This keeps you from wasting time and losing sight of what you’re really aiming for. It’s not a bad thing to branch out and explore new options, (I’m hoping to get more into author tips/support, and music related posts in addition to my usual content) but posting about things you genuinely couldn’t care less about just for the views… it’s a quick way to get burned out and be left with followers who aren’t actually interested in your real content.

But in all honesty I’m still figuring it out as I go! I’m making it through one step at a time, and learning from mistakes. In my opinion the best way to improve is through trial and error, and finding what works best for you. And that applies to everything, not just social media. Trying new things has been a key element in my improvement as an author, and if I didn’t have the courage to put myself out there, I may have ended up quitting altogether. So in the words of Ms. Frizzle, “Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!” That’s honestly the best way to overcome most obstacles in your career and life.

By the way, my blog posts now have a place below for comments! Not sure if it helps my website in the algorithm, but it’s a great place for us to have discussion about the topics I share in my blog.

Stay tuned for a follow up post about my top five author strengths and how I utilize them!