My writing and publishing schedule is once again behind my self-imposed deadlines. The plan was to be writing book 4 of the Cozy Quilts Club Mystery series during August and September but edits and marketing for books 2 and 3 have pushed that back at least a month. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about indie publishing, it is that the process is planning what you want to do and then realizing it means another four steps before you can even get to it.

The process

I have a rough outline in place for books 4, 5, and 6. Sometimes I’ll have the words already rattling around in my head whispering (or nagging) just get it started and other times it takes jumping in and hoping my writing time isn’t spent sitting in front of the screen staring at a blank Word doc or procrastinating by convincing myself I have other things to do that are so much more time sensitive. Not having a publisher’s deadline to meet can be both liberating and dangerous if self-discipline isn’t among your strong suits.

Finally

The reward comes when all the behind-the-scenes work is done and the Publish button is clicked. Ha! Who am I kidding? For indies, that just means taking off the writer’s hat and putting on the marketing hat. Would I still have started this post-retirement career if I had any idea how much work and time it takes? Apparently the answer is yes, as I’m still doing it… Writers be crazy.