How to Use a Coronavirus (COVID-19) Quarantine to Launch Your Self-Publishing Career (With a New Writing System Explained)
Writers in quarantine can be productive!
The world has gone crazy and people all over the globe don’t recognize their lives anymore. The Coronavirus has taken the world by storm and changed things so dramatically that people are questioning what things will look like in a few weeks. And writers, authors, and self-publishers are no different.
If you’re a writer, chances are you have a pending book release, a half-finished manuscript, or a scheduled promotion. And that’s what I want to talk to you about today. How does the coronavirus affect writers, and what should you do in light of this global pandemic?
Here’s the way I see things.
The Good News for Writers
Sales are up. In fact, sales are up dramatically. Because people are home and (mostly) bored, they are buying and reading books. And the more books you have to offer, the more sales you are going to make. Think about it—no one is going to the theater, a concert, or anyplace else where people are gathered. They can watch TV or read a book. And a lot of them are reading.
That means now is the time to engage in things like:
· Book promotions. Because people at home are looking for things to do, they are more likely to open book promotion emails (and buy the books they like).
· Writing. Are you stuck at home? Finish that book you’ve been talking about for so long!
· Book releases. Don’t even think about not releasing your book right now. In fact, if you have a book that’s been pre-released, think of moving up the release date. (I will definitely do this with my new book if I can finish it earlier than I’d planned.)
· Pre-releases. Maybe you’ve never pre-released a book before—now is the perfect time to do it. Amazon now allows you to pre-release a book a year out, but if you’re going to be stuck at home for some time, why not put all your energy into writing and releasing it before then?
How to Write During a Pandemic
The news has us all on edge, doesn’t it? In fact, it can be difficult to turn it off because we’re all afraid we’re going to miss something important. But I’ve developed a simple system that is allowing me to crank out my new book despite the fact that the world is falling apart all around us.
I call it the Writing Despite Chaos (WDC) system. I use a system of rewards to help push me through the day while allowing me to stay up-to-date on the news. For instance, I will sit down and write 5 pages of my book and then reward myself by watching 15 minutes of the news to catch up on events. Then, I’ll sit down and write another 5 pages. This system keeps my adrenaline up and is allowing me to enthusiastically get through my book. In fact, the adrenaline and a heightened sense of alert I feel are allowing me to write what I consider one of my best books ever.
If it works for me, why wouldn’t it work for you?
Stop letting the world crash in on you and making you immobile. Instead, use the time to take a step toward your dream. Coronavirus? Yeah, it’s serious. But that doesn’t mean you have to stop everything and put your life on hold. Instead, use that adrenaline and a heightened sense of urgency to write a book.
Let me know if this system works for you in the comments below!