Publishing Summer (and How to Survive It)

TGIF, everyone!

Somehow it is already the final day of May. The official start of summer is less than a month away, but where I am, summer has already begun, really. *delicately fans self* It also means that we are entering the summer doldrums of publishing.

I have often explained the concept of Publishing Time to excited friends and family members who are dying to know what's going on with my book - but even if we understand it perfectly and are getting used to it, Publishing Time can be a difficult adjustment for writers! After all, when we are in drafting/revising/rewriting mode, that driven, Type A intensity is a good thing... and then we get to querying/submission mode and we must flex our patience muscles a bit. We're entering a period of very little activity until September or so as people take their well-deserved vacations, which means we need to scale it back before our heads explode.

So where do you channel that extra writing-related energy in the interim? Here are some humble suggestions:

1. Read all the things! Sure, some of you might be lucky enough to live in a place without 2000% humidity and the occasional hot breeze. (I kid. Mostly.) And some of you are strong enough to venture outside anyway! But for those of you who would rather pull the shades and camp out at home, this is an excellent time to catch up on your TBR list. I know it's been sitting there for the past few months, staring at you accusingly. Summer is the perfect time to read a good romance... or a good summer ghost story, if you're me.

2. Find something awesome to do (that has nothing to do with writing.) And in the end, you'll usually find that it feeds into your writing one way or the other. I am basically part fish, so my favorite thing about summer is the chance to swim several times a week. Aside from the fact that it's great exercise, when I find a quiet time to do my laps, that often ends up being the best brainstorming fuel.

3. Start a new story from scratch, just for fun. I'm a huge fan of cowriting for this one - it keeps your improv skills sharp, and it shuts off that internal editor that can make drafting so tricky. But this largely depends on finding someone you can really click with, and a shiny new solo project will work just as well. Giving your creativity a workout might add new verve to your pre-existing WIP. Or, while playing around, you might accidentally create the Next Big Thing. It's a win either way, and lots of fun, at that!

4. Take a vacation. Or a staycation. One of the two. Either way, switch up your routine a bit and try to see something new. Even if you're not traveling anywhere this summer (*stares longingly at flights to London, lets out wistful sigh*) there's always something in your area that you haven't seen yet.

Happy writing, all, and stay cool this weekend!