If it were up to me, September would be the start of Quarter Four. Mentally, my brain shifts from pool days to cozy days on the patio reading a book with a blanket. Here in Texas, fall often feels more like a mindset than a season, but I’ll take what I can get.
I talked about it in my August recap, but I finished my book! So September is about all the in between things that happen when I’m not working on a book - like creating content to market a book. But this is really the only month I have the rest of the year that won’t be insane.
Just earlier today, my boyfriend asked what our plans were this weekend and I don’t think I stressed it well enough that I wanted to do nothing. I don’t want to go anywhere but H-E-B and I want to stay home and just be here.
I want to cuddle up with books and listen to the rain (there’s a hurricane in the Pacific that might bring rain to Texas this upcoming weekend) and just enjoy the quiet. Q4 is always my busiest quarter of the year and I know there will not be enough time to rest before I hit the gas again.
The problem is, even my quiet, resting time still feels busy. Maybe someday I’ll just totally take a month off and check out but that is not this year.
Writing/Marketing Goals
A book cover
Announce the title
write a blurb for the back of the cover (I’ll need this before the cover)
send the draft to beta readers
create about a bazillion reels to promote this book
set up a page on my author website to promote the book and its series
I’ll be so busy in October finishing up the last details of this book, ordering proofs and trying to wrangle the last stray commas, so setting up as much marketing content in advance is going to be key.
The more I can do now, the less I have to do and stress about later. Especially because October is a busy month in my life. As is November. And then December is busy in everyone’s lives just about.
Goal two: take care of my body and mind
apply for new jobs
walk almost every morning
journal at least 15 times
stretch every morning
more free writing (aka, blog posts on this space)
As I get older, especially in the fall when my birthday looms around the corner, I'm trying to just be kinder to my body. I've cut back significantly on my drinking, I'm taking more supplements, eating moderately better, to make sure that I feel better.
Mentally, too, I want to take care of myself. I've fallen in love with writing for myself again. That's why I re-launched this personal blog, but it's fallen to the way side as I've been focused on edits. You should expect more posts from me this month.
More than ever, this year in particular, I've felt the stress in my body of life. Especially my day job, and while my day job isn't what I do, it does impact parts of my life - including my writing. While I look for a new job, I have to get a handle on what I can control while in my current job.
Goal three: organize
Fall cleaning of my house
organize my documents on my computer
organize my Notion space
clean out my closet
I usually do some organizing at the end of the year, and I'm sure I will this year, but I also want to take time between drafts to do some of that organizing too, so it's easier in the new year.
Have to admit, I always feel a little lost in between book drafts, but with a release right around the corner, it is time to do the work to make it a success.