You Have to be a Little Crazy

5 o’clock in the morning. Been up for two hours, jetlagged like mad. Uploading SAND to Nook, B&N, and iTunes. While files are uploading, I’m firing off Tweets, making an update to AuthorEarnings.com, handling e-mail, and daydreaming about the next writing project.

How do you get a bunch of stuff done? You do a bunch of stuff. The last two weeks have been spent working on that earnings report, traveling to Taiwan and promoting two novels there, finalizing a children’s book deal, discussing film rights for SAND, and wrapping up this apocalyptic anthology, which releases in three weeks.

No social life helps. Being batshit crazy is practically a necessity. Now it’s back to iTunes to get this SAND pre-order page up. (Is it sick that I feel like I haven’t released a title in practically forever? I think it’s sick.)

25 responses to “You Have to be a Little Crazy”

  1. Darke Conteur Avatar
    Darke Conteur

    The secret to successful multitasking is one of life’s greatest mysteries. I like to mix it up, work on a WIP to my daily word goal, then get up and do something else for thirty minutes (housework, shovel snow, cook), and then sit and work on writing again. It takes some discipline at first, but after a couple weeks, it’s routine.

    Reply
  2. stephen Avatar
    stephen

    Hi Hugh,
    Not to create more work but will you still be selling bundled individual copies of sand?
    Cheers

    Reply
  3. Steve Avatar
    Steve

    You haven’t done a press release yet for the report, have you? Get busy!

    Reply
  4. Catherine Avatar
    Catherine

    Batshit crazy is totally respectable. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise:)

    Reply
  5. Susan Avatar
    Susan

    Sounds like you’ve got more success than most of us would dream of. Oh, to have your problems! :)

    I’m not even close to your level of sales, but I know what you mean about multitasking. When I quit my day job to write full time, I thought it would be smooth sailing now that I could devote all my time to the biz of writing and of course, writing itself.

    Still feel run off my feet!

    Congrats for all your success, and thank you so much for the report. Look forward to more.

    Reply
  6. Dan Dan The Art Mab Avatar
    Dan Dan The Art Mab

    You are sick, but I hope it’s contagious.

    I got a FEVER! And the only prescription…is MORE COWBELL… I mean, ah… Hugh Howey fiction and inspiration to write my own fiction!

    -Bruce Dickinson (Christopher Walken)

    Reply
    1. Dan Dan The Art Mab Avatar
      Dan Dan The Art Mab

      *Dan Dan The Art Man

      Fat thumbs :)

      Reply
  7. R.T. Edwins Avatar
    R.T. Edwins

    Some call it crazy, others call it imaginative. I choose to see the second explanation. =)

    Reply
  8. Sandy Williams Avatar
    Sandy Williams

    You are crazy-productive. I wish I had half of your energy!

    I was just at the authorearnings website and looking at the petition. The question about supporting a new author organization made me pause. I love the idea, don’t mind the fee, but I was wondering why can’t we take over the Author’s Guild? Is Scott Turow king and unremovable? We can’t all join the Guild and elect you (or another wise volunteer) as our leader?

    Thanks!
    Sandy

    Reply
    1. Alan Tucker Avatar
      Alan Tucker

      I had issues with the same question, though not in the same way. The AG is broken and I’m not sure it’s repairable in its current state. I question why we need a guild at all. Big Pub Houses will change their contract terms or they won’t. They haven’t listened to authors for over a hundred years, why would they start now?

      Reply
      1. Steve Avatar
        Steve

        Because the balance of power has shifted.

        Reply
  9. Alan Tucker Avatar
    Alan Tucker

    Why do you think Einstein’s hair looked that way? ;-)

    Thank you, for being an advocate — you’re going above and beyond the call of duty. I bet you never thought you’d be a world traveler after penning that story a few years ago, did you?

    Reply
  10. Rob Avatar
    Rob

    Man, and I thought I was busy!

    Hang in there…

    Reply
  11. Scott M Avatar
    Scott M

    “(Is it sick that I feel like I haven’t released a title in practically forever? I think it’s sick.)”

    Yep, you got the right instinct there. ;)

    Reply
  12. Sheila C. Avatar
    Sheila C.

    I love how you just casually just throw out discussing film rights for SAND.

    WHHHAAAAATTT?????????????

    Hoping. Hoping.

    Reply
  13. Margaret Buckley Avatar
    Margaret Buckley

    Hi Hugh,

    You do seem to be insanely crazy, so I feel bad about asking you if Sand is going to be on Kogo. I have my hard copy, which is great, but I really don’t want to mess it up.

    Really looking forward to the next Molly Fyde…. :-p

    Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Michael Avatar
      Michael

      I second the request for Sand on Kobo. Any news, Hugh?

      Reply
    2. Michael Lane Avatar
      Michael Lane

      I just saw this morning that it’s now available for pre-order on Kobo, with a delivery date of Feb 28th. Thanks, Hugh! I know it must be a lot of work to support all these different e-book stores, but we love you for it.

      Reply
  14. Larry Weiner Avatar
    Larry Weiner

    Thanks man. You’ve put a damper on my night’s Downton Abbey viewing.

    Reply
  15. Debby S Avatar
    Debby S

    I want to know more about the Children’s book!

    Reply
  16. Alan Shearer Avatar
    Alan Shearer

    It’s the years of captaining ships. Being a boater myself, I know there is always, always something that must be done. Not; should be, or would be nice to get, or if I have time, but must be done.

    Reply
  17. Matt Avatar
    Matt

    Sand finally appeared for preorder on iBooks today, with an expected date of April 15?!

    Is iBooks really this broken? I will not buy through Kindle, so perhaps it’s time to order a paper copy directly from you…

    Thank you!
    Matt

    Reply
  18. Elizabeth Barone Avatar
    Elizabeth Barone

    I was talking to a friend yesterday about how I’d just lost my job and decided screw it, I’ll just write full-time, and told him that I am either optimistic or insane—maybe optimistically insane. ;)

    This is an upload weekend for me; I just released something last Tuesday, but it feels like it’s been forever!

    It’s a good life, though.

    Reply
  19. Writing Crazy -No Blank Pages

    […] And as Hugh Howey says, “You Have to be a Little Crazy.” […]

    Reply
  20. Tenisha Cornwall Avatar
    Tenisha Cornwall

    Hello.This post was really remarkable, particularly because I was looking for thoughts on this issue last Sunday.

    Reply

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