How To Set Writing Priorities

Many of us struggle with how much effort we should really put into blogging and other social networking. I believe the answer partly depends on where we're at in the writing journey.

In order to help us, I've broken down the writing journey into four basic levels. Of course these lists are not all inclusive. But they give an overview of the priorities we should have at each stage, specifically with how much effort we should give our blogs, facebook, and twitter.

Priorities for Beginning Writers: Someone who is still at the early stages of learning writing skills; possibly having completed a novel or two, but still needing to learn more about what is acceptable writing craft in today's modern writing industry.

• Spend most of your time learning.
• Read how-to books.
• Soak in writing techniques from well-written books by modern authors.
• Put it all into practice by writing a couple books.
• Use blogging and social networking to meet other writers and grow in the craft.
• Take the pressure off yourself to use social media for anything more than just learning.

Priorities for Query Level Writers: These writers are the ones who've had objective, qualified feedback (not from family), that lets them know their writing skill is reaching publishable quality. They've completed at least a couple of novels and are ready to query agents or editors.

• Continue to read and learn from craft books.
• Start reading agent and editor blogs. Study the guidelines.
• If you haven't started a blog, now is a good time.
• And if you've already been blogging, practice it more consistently and with more focus.
• But don't worry about attracting a flock of followers
• Work on writing the next novel instead.

Priorities for Agented Writers: Once a writer lands an agent, publication begins to loom closer.

• Continue to read and learn from craft books.
• Study how to write a book proposal.
• Start to think about building a platform.
• Blog with more intentionality.
• Sign up for twitter and facebook if you haven't already.
• Begin to set aside some time in your writing schedule for social networking.
• View the networking as part of work time.
• But devote the best and most concentrated time to writing your book.

Priorities for Contracted Writers: After getting a book contract, obviously priorities will shift even more. Here are a few of mine.

• Read the newest craft books on the market and learn more.
• Put what I'm learning into practice in my next book.
• Develop my brand.
• Establish a website.
• Plan time every day to network, answer emails, twitter, facebook, and blog.
• Protect and maximize my writing time. Remember my book is still the most important aspect of my writing career.
• Realize my writing career is shifting from part time to full time.

The dilemma for most of us is this: The demands on the twenty-first century writer are increasing, especially the closer we get to publication, BUT the time we can devote to our writing is not increasing at the same rate.

We're expected to do more, and we have to squeeze that work into limited time. That's probably the reality of many jobs in today's economic climate, but it's especially true for writers since most of us write "on the side" in our "spare" time.

I'm beginning to wonder if it's possible for a writer to have a successful career, if all we ever give ourselves is leftover burned-out time. At some point, if we're really serious about pursuing writing as a career, will we need to carve out more quality time?

It stands to reason, if we hope to give additional time to our writing, then we'll have to cut it out from something else. But how can we do that? More in the next post. . .

Today I'd love to hear how you're doing with your writing priorities. Where are you at in the journey? Are you on track? Or do you need to do more or less? Do you think it's possible for writers to have successful writing careers, if all we ever give ourselves is our leftover time?