Tom – Page 143

Ryman - Eldon Square - Red Nose Day — Ryman – Newcastle Upon Tyne.

I know that several people think that I am crazy, and that was before I made the decision. Which decision? I hear you ask.

It could be my stepping down from a management position, or perhaps reducing to a three day working week. In the eyes of different folk it’s one or the other, but for most I suppose it’s because I’m doing both … at the same time. My graphic is an acrylic of the Ryman, Newcastle Upon Tyne store where I’ve worked as a Deputy Manager for the last four years. I completed the painting in 2009 to celebrate Red Nose Day.

Mainly thanks to my wife who is continuing to work, I have no major concerns regarding cashflow. Olive (the wife), is the unsung hero in my situation, because I have her support. She understands how much it means for me to devote quality time to my writing. My motivation is based on several factors but I’ll mention more detail on that in my next post.

I am now well on the way with the third (and final) draft of my romantic novel ‘Ten Days’. My sample readers will have their copies of the manuscript within a few days and a hard copy is already with my son, Andrew. He has agreed to help me with the design of the cover and I know his design expertise will better anything I could come up with.

The Inkerman Writers writing group has recently re-established itself in a new base and I am in attendance once again every week. The group is working on short stories for inclusion in an anthology which we aim to have published in the Spring of 2013.

At the time of writing I have two other short stories underway for competitions. My writing schedule is rounded off by my attempts to write at least one poem a week for posting on thestarlitecafe.com/ For the purposes of posting poetry on that site I’ve retained the pseudonym of Tomfoollery.

As I move on with the third draft of my romantic thriller I’ve taken the step of sharing my jacket blurb on Facebook. I’ve also shared Chapter 1 to give a taste of my writing style. My theory is that even if only 1 in 10 people who see the post actually go in and read either one of them then my marketing has started successfully. If I am fortunate enough to attract any reasonable comments I’ll add a second chapter to my blog next month.

Ten Days - Cover idea — A working cover for the e-Book

My graphic is a working cover page for the e-Book and may not resemble the finished article. I’ll use Twitter and local media when the time is right and I’ll continue to plug the story on Facebook. My other intention is to print off and distribute five copies to readers for market research purposes.

The jacket blurb I’ve used is only an experiment and may well change, but the first chapter is close to the finished article as it stands now.

My main investment has been time and effort but depending on the result of my strategy I may have to put money into the pot. I’ve worked out at the moment that a single photocopy of the manuscript is going to cost me £9. If all goes well I hope to recoup whatever outlay I have in that area.

I will very shortly live up to my promise to myself to reduce my retail working hours which will mean a serious drop in pay, but a vast increase in time invested in writing. In order that I don’t look as if my retail work is actually going backwards and out of control, I fully intend to alter my status and profession on any social media with which I’m connected – so watch this space.