Variety is the spice of life—and I definitely like my life “spicy.” I would hate to have a career in which I did the same thing over and over all day, every day, day in and day out.
“But, Cynthia—you write and edit. All day, every day, the same two things,” I can hear you saying to me now. You’re wrong, however.
First of all, I don’t write only books. I write for clients—business materials and other stuff. I just recently crafted an email ad campaign for a client. A short while ago I composed a wedding toast for another client. I write articles. I ghostwrite books, blogposts, and miscellany for clients.
Then let’s look at book-writing. There’s more to it than, as someone once put it, opening a vein and letting the ink flow. There’s marketing the book once it’s published. Before that, there’s reading over the edited manuscript to make sure the editor didn’t mess up (and editors DO mess up!), reading over the page proofs to make sure the layout is correct, and, if it’s a picturebook (or an adult book that is illustrated), coordinating with the artist. If a writer is lucky, she/he gets input into what the cover will look like, too. (Some publishers listen to the author; some don’t.)
Marketing may involve giving speeches, doing book-signings and -readings, writing blogposts and/or articles that draw attention to your book, appearing on radio or TV to promote your book, joining authors’ and readers’ groups, and more.
Does it still sound like I’m doing the same thing all day every day?
Now let’s look at my freelance writing and editing apart from writing my books. I ghostwrite or edit books for others, and the subjects are varied. I’ve worked with authors of inspirational/motivational books, memoirs, cookbooks, novels, rants and screeds, how-tos, children’s books, and more. I’m currently working for clients on editing a book of poetry and writing a true crime drama, just finished editing a steamy novel, am expecting three or four cookbooks in (three from one author; one from another), am expecting a novel and an inspirational in the near future, have another client who’s halfway through what sounds like an exposé, which will come to me eventually…and that’s not all.
Does it still sound like I’m doing the same thing all the time?
Variety is the spice of life. I’m loving my spicy life.