Tips for Running a Business and Self-Publishing a Book While Raising a Family

As the New Year approaches, I thought I’d share some of my tips with you on running a business, self-publishing a book and raising a family at the time. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating:
Be organized and work ahead as much as possible.

Something I love are the free, printable calendars available from a number of websites (search “free printable calendar” and you’ll find a number to choose from). When I need to have a day organized carefully, I print off a calendar with everything for that day in set blocks of time so I can follow it closely.

Most of the time, I just need a weekly calendar-page printed with the jobs I have to do, and I print off one copy to keep next to my computer and one copy to keep in my purse. I check it every night to be sure I know exactly what I need to do for the upcoming day.

With the school calendar, I need to change some of my schedule to include carpooling, after-school practice times, and additional school and church activities. For me, this means back to working early in the morning, rather than in the middle of the day. For you, it might mean working later in the evening.

Finally, be sure you set yourself some sort of schedule to follow, even if it’s as simple as doing laundry on Mondays, sending e-mails at 8:30 am, or writing 3,000 words per day. It’s easy to let time slip away if you don’t have a goal to reach each day, but it’s also just as easy to accomplish something if you put your mind to it.

Do you have questions and need help with writing and marketing your self-published book? Please contact me here or at http://www.jexbo.com/.

Happy 2011!

Holiday Greetings!

I’d like to take this opportunity to say "Thank You and Happy Holidays" to all the writers who have their books listed on jexbo, and to all the readers who have bought the books listed.

I'd also like to thank you, my blog readers for all of your great feedback in the past year.

My favorite things are reading and writing, and I’m thrilled every day that I’m able to help other readers and writers connect!

I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday, and keep on reading and writing!

Jill

How to Plan for a Successful New Year as a Writer

The start of a new year is a great time to set some goals for yourself. Here are some ideas for writers to consider to plan for a successful new year:

There are a couple ways to set writing goals.

Manage Your Time.

Do you want to work for a certain amount of time per day or week?

Or would you prefer to write a certain number of words per day or week?

If you can put a manageable amount together, it will be much easier for you to stick with it than if you start with an unreasonable amount.

Join a Writer’s Group.

You can check community center boards, or libraries or bookstores. These groups can support you throughout the year and keep you from getting discouraged and giving up on your goals. If you can’t find a group, start your own!

Ask around or advertise locally to find others who are interested in meeting once a month or so.

Reward Yourself.

Set up some rewards to keep yourself motivated. For instance, every 10 pages written you get a day off from writing, or an extra 15 minutes of sleep.

You can have bigger rewards for reaching bigger goals – a new computer game for 100 pages written. Think of something you’d really like, and use the thought of it to keep you working.

Do you have questions about self-publishing? Please write to me here or at jill@jexbo.com. 

Tips To Complete Your Self-published Book by the End of the Year

If you’re trying to finish your self-published book by the end of the year, good for you! It’s great to have a goal, and to have a timeframe to reach that goal.

Think about putting together a checklist of what needs to be done in the next few weeks.

• Is your book finished, or do you have a good idea how long it will take to finish?
• Have you chosen a self-publishing firm?
• Have you checked references for that firm before sending them any money?
• Have you had someone read through your book to give some feedback?
• Will you be using an editor to proofread your book?
• Do you need to choose a design for your cover?

It helps if you can break your checklist down to manageable pieces and work through them step by step.

Of course if you haven’t completed your self-published book by the end of the year, don’t worry! As long as you have a goal and you’re working to reach it, you’ll get there sooner rather than later.

Do you have questions about self-publishing, please contact me here or at www.jexbo.com. Thanks!