It’s not always what you think.

Spend Some Time in the Life of a Frazzled Indie Author

It’s safe to say everyone in the UK is in the same boat these past few weeks. Hot, hot, and hotter. The UK is just not used to the heat. Our houses were built to keep heat in, so it’s currently like living in the seventh ring of hell in my 1930s brick-built terraced house!

Last night (12th July), we had an alert from the fire brigade to close all our windows and doors due to the really unfortunate and devasting wildfires in Wales – my thoughts are with those affected. Insane but the smoke travelled all the way to Liverpool, enough that we got the warning to be careful.

Just because I’ve been in a puddle the past few days, doesn’t mean life/work stops. It’s amazing to me how much I used to get done while working a full-time job when I find myself in my writing cave/office for most of the day now.

It’s just given me more time to devote to the other side of being an author. The writing, as many an indie author will say, is the easy part (mostly, until you get writer’s block). The marketing, social media posts, promotion, organising formatting, editing, covers etc. etc. all takes up a lot of time. However, I am enjoying myself. So want to know how the last couple of weeks have gone since I gave up the full time job?

First of all, on my desk currently I have a laminator, guillotine, cup of tea, hairband for the unruly summer fringe, my new tripod/selfie stick with remote control, and a portable fan. I’m trying to ignore my phone and just work.

The ‘To Do’ list (whiteboard behind me) currently consists of a picture drawn by my son of him and his friend and a tally of how much of his saved-up money he’s spent lately – side note that is £235 on clothes and trainers. Life of a teenage boy. At least he seems to have slowed down on purchasing aftershave, eighteen bottles in.

I’ve got a new release coming out on 28^th July – so that involved'

• Formatting the book and eBook (numerous times to get it right)

• Setting up my new publishing name (Iron & Ember Press) to publish the book under

• Posting about it on socials – including teasers and ARC news

• Getting everything uploaded to KDP

• Setting up the ARC on Bookfunnel, getting all of the applications organised and ready to be sent out on 14^th July

• Organizing a sale of books 1 and 2 of the series to coincide with the release.

• Panicking that I’ve forgotten something

• Realizing I still have time to get it sorted if I have forgotten something

  
  

In the midst of all this, PROCRASTINATION HAPPENED. I’ve decided to make hardback versions of the Blackhawk Disciple MC books, so therefore got distracted making covers (more info will be In my newsletter and is currently in my Facebook Group). And I can’t just do it for the three published books... I did all ten.

Writing Red Alert book 3 about Jack McQueen the drummer. I’m about 50% through the first draft and keep stopping and starting because my head is all over the place.

Getting Facebook ads up and running – I’ve chosen Sky Full of Stars and Nero and a big thanks to Jill who is managing that for me, because I would cry if I had to do it myself.

I got the final sample back from the narrators for my first audio book and that was something. Feels big having an audio book coming… Never thought I’d get to that stage.

Drafting my next newsletter.

Signed up for a couple more events and made pre-order forms for them all, then decided I wanted a few different things to take so arranged to get sprayed edges on a paperback… that has been a pain and a half with Amazon not packaging books and 8 of the 12 being damaged, the templates being printed upside down, the printer going on holiday for 3 weeks… They’re back now and the books are packaged like they’re going across the world in a rickety three wheel car with square tyres, and will be winging their way to the printer today. So that is a trip to the Inpost locker (but I’m waiting for my false tan to set and can’t go and get all sweaty cos it’ll streak - we have to look good when we're melting).

Some more stuff to do - food shopping, cooking tea, keeping the cats cool and making an appointment to get 5 tattoos (only my fingers), ordering special edition copies of my books in preparation for the signings.

Not keeping sufficiently hydrated. Forgetting to eat breakfast and it’s nearly 1pm. Also had a health scare a couple of weeks ago, pretty serious one, but it turned out not to be the evil C, so I’m all good.

Oh, and my electricity all went off last week in my rented property and couldn’t get anyone on the phone so had to go camp at the estate agents till they sorted it.

I’m sure there are things I’ve forgotten (like starting to write book 7 in the Blackhawk Series when I haven’t written books 4-6 and I’m supposed to be working on my current WIP). Setting up the author design and formatting arm of the business (coming soon).

Yet…I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I’m out of my crappy 9-5 job, I can take naps when I want to, I can get lost in designing covers, sprayed edges, ideas for events, doing Facebook takeovers and chatting to readers/authors.

I’m off to eat now because my stomach is talking to me so better go eat, wash off the tan and get my books to the printers. Maybe I’ll have a nap when I get back too….

Have an amazing month!