In-Limbo? Time to Write, Market, Grow!

By Donna Norman-Carbone

The term in-limbo has some negative connotations. Merriam Webster Dictionary defines it as: a place or state of confinement or oblivion, one of uncertainty. The definition I associate with this term, however, is a transitional state or place.

As a writer, I often find myself in a state of limbo whether I am between projects or simply waiting for the next stage in the process. There is a lot of waiting that occurs when you’re publishing a novel. Waiting for critique partners or beta readers to provide feedback on your drafts. Waiting for agents or publishing companies to reply to query letters. Waiting for a contract that promises your work will, in fact, be in print one day. Waiting between stages of editing: from developmental, to line to proofreading. Waiting to see a cover for your book or for the set release date. And, when it is finally published, waiting for reviews to come in. 

Being an author requires a thick skin and a whole lot of patience. For me, signing a contract with my publishing agency to the date of publication took at least eighteen months, and that’s a pretty quick turnaround. For the Big 5 traditional publishing houses, it could take much longer.

What do writers do in this stage of limbo (that seemingly daunting period of time between book releases)? Well, a great many things, actually. 

My publisher has said repeatedly that nothing sells your last book better than your next one. So, as writers, we write. 

There is nothing more thrilling to me than beginning a new writing project with so many possibilities on the horizon. It can also be quite scary, especially after you’ve published a book or two; a certain kind of pressure exists to make the next book as good as or better than the last. At any given time, there are five next-book ideas swirling around my head. Each time I get a seed of inspiration, I jot down a few brainstorming notes in my journal. Choosing between them can be disconcerting. 

Sometimes I begin writing in the voice of a main character for one book’s premise, then for another, to determine what feels and sounds right. I do rely on gut-instinct quite a bit. Once I decide which premise to pursue, I try to write out a concise pitch statement to wrap my mind around the whole of the idea. Then, I begin creating the micro-pieces before sitting down to write that first draft. I regard the micro-pieces as character development which includes a detailed biography, including inspirational photographs, for each of my main characters, some cursory research of the setting and any topics for which I’m lacking in prior knowledge, and a sketchy timeline. I make it a point to know the beginning and end of my story, but I’m comfortable leaving the way I get from point A to point Z murky–that’s where creativity comes into play. Now, it’s time to write.

Another task in which authors partake during a limbo state is marketing. Until I became a published author, I had very little concept of what that might look like. From engaging on social media to create a community of readers, to compiling a list of subscribers for an email newsletter, scheduling events to share and sell a book, booking interviews on podcasts and blogs to reach wide audiences, writing articles like this one, the list of the ways an author can market themselves seems endless. 

The last task an author can do during that transition period is to grow your craft. For some, that means attending workshops. For others, it could mean reading books on craft or participating in writing groups. It could also mean funneling your role as an author in different directions like editing or becoming a book coach or hosting a podcast.

While being in a state of limbo is a fact that authors need to accept as inherent in the process of publication, their state of mind during that period could make all the difference. 

By using this time to write new material, market their back catalogue, and grow their craft, being in a state of limbo isn’t as daunting as it might seem.

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Donna Norman-Carbone, the award-winning author of All That is Sacred and Of Lies and Honey, published by Red Adept Publishing, has a passion for writing women’s fiction that tugs at the heartstrings. Donna is also co-host of the podcast, Authors Talking Bookish, and the program director for the Bookish Road Trip. Her writing affiliations include membership of WFWA and CAPA.

OF LIES AND HONEY

Harper Alexander is devastated by a miscarriage even though she thought she never wanted to be a mother. Because of her husband’s determination to create a family and her inability to carry a child to term, they consider alternative options.

As the result of a secret love affair, Callie Sebastian becomes pregnant. Her socialite mother is appalled by her teenage daughter’s behavior. To protect the family’s reputation, she sends Callie to a Catholic boarding school for wayward girls.

When Raina Edwin’s third child starts school, leaving her with an empty house, she begins to long for another baby. Unfortunately, their farm will not support a new addition to their family. To fill the void, Raina starts a new business: selling honey.

As Harper, Callie, and Raina deal with their strife, their lives collide in unexpected ways. A revealed secret forces each of them to make choices that will alter their roles as mothers and daughters forever.

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