It’s the first Wednesday of the month and time for a new posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. 

It’s been a crazy year thus far. All of my planning has gone out the window. And it’s been exciting!

With a bit of finagling, I was able to redo my entire publishing calendar for the year and even finish an entire series! I didn’t know that I had it in me or that it was even possible. And instead of setting books to pre-order on the various sites, I just did a rapid release (I was a real indie author) without a care if I did proper launches (i.e. translations and audiobooks ready at the same time as well as marketing) – I just wrote the books (with all the stuff that goes with it) and got it published. I’m still in this whirlwind, but it’s exciting and fun.

“They’ve been alive forever. They’ve been bored for some time. And now they’re showing it.”

I am planning to do a box set with some exclusive stories included, but that will have to wait until next quarter when I can actually set aside some time to do a proper launch. I’m thinking of having the translation (in Afrikaans only at this time) as well as the audiobooks for both languages ready by then so I can do it big. And be done with it.

That’s the big thing: it’s like most of my books are in a state of limbo (except my debut, “Once… Tales, Myths and Legends of Faerie” which I immediately did in all formats, both languages, and with a proper launch). I’ve made a checklist for what’s needed for each book, and I’m working through it. (Finishing the series, translating it to Afrikaans, having it in print, ebook and audio, and doing a launch.) It’s a lot of work, but it feels so great to have all the finishing touches on it.

That’s what I’m working towards: that amazing feeling of knowing you had done everything you can to make a book a success (outside of writing the best story you can).

So yes: I’m working on getting the backlist perfect and on finishing series. When I’m done with Irascible Immortals, I’m going to finish Faery Tales. And despite all the other things I have to do in a day, my goal is to get it done this year.

Insane.

I’m also planning on doing an A-Z next April on the faeries of each series… For marketing purposes, of course.

I’m done blathering. Your turn: what are your publishing and writing plans for the rest of the year?

On an unrelated note, would you mind filling in this poll I have on Twitter? (You can just answer in the comments if you don’t want to go to Twitter.) I might have done this poll thing wrong, it is my first, after all.

Dear author friends, I have two serious writing questions for you (no matter your genre). Do you:#polls #Opinion #WritingCommunity

— Ronel Janse van Vuuren (@miladyronel) May 1, 2021