Revised Publishing Goals

Howdy friends!

Photo by Manasvita S on Unsplash

I’m sending an update today about my revised publishing goals for the next year. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and a lot of soul searching this summer, and I have made some pretty big decisions. These are never easy to make, and I am all too aware that there are readers counting on me to share the next installments. I have the deepest respect for my readers, and an equal respect for the art of writing… So I am revising all my publishing dates for the next year, with two exceptions.

Previously, I had intended to release projects this October, next spring, and next October. As of right now, only the charity anthology in the fall and spring are on my publishing schedule.

Why did I make this choice? It wasn’t easy or simple. Ultimately what it boiled down to was making sure that the work I release continues to be of the same or better quality than my existing work. I felt if I tried to keep on the previous schedule, I would be rushing to crank these stories out, instead of sitting with the characters and telling their stories the best way I know how.

This mental process really started with a recent Q&A I did with Monster Romance Reviews. (A lovely experience, and I really enjoy their posts, so please give them a follow.) They asked how I began my journey. I started because I wanted to do one thing a day that was just for me, that just made me happy, and a few steps later the Cetean race and the Underwater series was born. I remember how fun writing was at that time, and how I was pounding out up to 12k words a day… Compared to now, my writing feels forced and I’m lucky to get a hundred words in.

That got me seriously contemplating what changed, what happened. I knew it wasn’t my love for writing—because I’m passionate about it to make it my whole life. I went from writing for pleasure to building a presence and publishing 13 stories and moderating communities and doing in person events in the space of 3 years.

I shared some of my concerns with my writing friends, and spent some time sitting with three questions: Who am I doing this for? Why am I telling these stories? What about this brings me joy? It was hard to sit with those questions, because in the moment I wasn’t sure what the answers would be. I proposed a number of answers and none of them seemed right.

Then a dear friend pointed out how I transitioned my writing from “hobby” to “work” mindsets—once for pleasure, now for profit. This sent me on a thought spiral of how the work mindset might have changed how I approach writing in a number of ways.

So I went back to my roots and dove deep in my heart looking for perspective. What about writing originally drew me to it? Why did I start telling these stories? What inspired the most fun?

Then I had it. All my questions, all my motivations, all my inspiration came down to one thing: human connection. Writing and reading connects us all across time and space. Characters like us on the page make us feel seen. My author journey has brought me to a wonderful community of readers and writers, and I honestly wouldn’t be where I am without them.

So this is what I’m going to do now: I’m prioritizing writing and in-person events, to keep that human connection strong. I’m sharing my current draft with alpha readers and my writing community. I’ll be continuing to do signings and book fairs to keep meeting people. I’ll post infrequently on social media platforms, but engage more with my street team and my author community.

But, wait, how exactly does writing prioritize human connection? By spending time creating, I can build moments and stories and books that other people can connect with. If I don’t spend time with these characters, I can’t do their stories justice, which delivers an inferior book to readers, which disrespects the report established thus far. It also helps me reconnect with myself, and the love I have for the craft, which makes me more engaged and more likely to connect with people about the craft.

These changes may be a disappointment to those that really want the next installments. I promise I’m not going to stop giving you stories—I’m just going to take more time to get them to you.

I have four new projects I’m working on currently, in addition to trying to get the existing books into audio format. Taking firm deadlines of the table for those things, excepting the charity anthologies for which I have signed contracts, has taken a huge weight off my shoulders. I feel like I have room to breathe. I feel like I have room to listen to my characters. I have more time to connect with readers and authors in my community, to build even stronger friendships going forward.

As the opening image says, life is short, do things that matter. To me, prioritizing the human connection matters more now than ever before.

Thank you so much for your continued support. I know I say that to close almost every newsletter and social post, but in truth I can’t do this art without the human connection. I don’t want to do this art without the human connection. I value and appreciate you each so much, and my heart is just so full of gratitude for you. Thank you.

~R