I started working on my calendar for 2016. I’m lining up Spotlight guests, trying to find places to be spotlighted myself, and oh yeah…planning my writing time. I’m a bit anal, so having a schedule helps me accomplish goals better than the seat of the pants attack that works for some.
Ever on a search for the self-help book that will lead me toward success, I found a book called The Coffee Break Guide to Business Plans for Writers by Amy Denim. I’m in the early stages but I like how the author approaches the topic specifically for writers, because I’ve tried to write a business plan for A Writer’s House before and it didn’t feel right. Taking what is basically an artistic pursuit and pigeonholing it into a business plan was too square peg/round hole for me. I know in theory that the pursuit of publication and a career as a writer is a business pursuit. And I also realize that fighting against a business plan is ironic for the anal side of my personality. Alas, it’s the on-going right brain/left brain battle of my life.
I am often my own worst enemy. I know this. I plan and plan and plan sort of like I write my first three chapters over and over. There comes a time when you just have to move forward. And since I’m doing a lot of moving forward right now, it seems a good time to tackle (again) the task of writing a business plan. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes. In the meanwhile, what things do you do to further your business career as an artist? How do you balance those two seemingly opposite pursuits?