This is the eighth & last post in a series dedicated to a self-assessment of my writing journey, particularly as it relates to Core Haven, my new release. The previous posts were:

1. Overview (Reassessing the Long Game)
2. My end goal (Milestone)
3. What I hope to accomplish (One More Rung)
4. How long I’ll consider Core Haven as a new release (Decision Tree)
5. How much more time, effort, and money I want to devote to promoting (Patience).
6. How I can cross those magic finish lines of 20/50/100 reviews on Amazon if I don’t continue actively promoting my new release. (Another Mile Marker)
7. How I can avoid comparing my latest novel to other books I’ve read—both indie & traditional—that have hundreds, if not thousands, of reviews. (Lighten Up!)

This final installment in this series addresses another emotional aspect, as well as a practical one:

• How long do I continue questioning my overall strategy?

As I mentioned in previous posts, I’m glad Core Haven rolled on past the first mile marker of 20 reviews & is chugging along toward the second magic number (50) with a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars from 39/42 customer reviews/ratings at the time of this writing. Not too shabby, right?

However, now I need to turn my attention to the long game regarding Core Haven & its companion novel.

Basically, it comes down to how much more time & energy I’m willing to commit to promoting both of them after having dedicated nearly three months of my writing time to doing precisely that.

Sure, I’ve been scribbling along the way, but not with my usual drive that rousts me before dawn & provides an opportunity to delve into whatever I feel like that morning. I do have the 3rd-person narrator’s voice nailed down for my next novel, as well as story structure & whatnot, & have even started the first draft of Part I.

But still, it’s not the same. Since I’m not a natural-born marketer—as many indie authors can relate to—I wonder if it makes sense to use my limited amount of writing time to reassess my overall strategy and create reels for TikTok, book trailers, advertisement creatives, and such.

Of course, another part of me says, “Why not give keep the promotion going full throttle another month & see what happens?”

Yeah…why not?

Keep you posted.

Drew

P.S. If by chance you’re interested in reading and thoughtfully reviewing either of my two companion novels, please see the Amazon links below. (And thanks so much in advance!)

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Latest BookFunnel Promo LINKS

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I invite you to check out Lee Hall’s excellent video review, especially the first book he includes on his short list of memorable indie reads—uh-huh, that would be Pearl Fields and the Oregon Meltdown.

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