It's going to be a long, rainy day

May 9, 2025

We need the rain even though western Maryland is not currently in a severe drought condition. My location has had almost three inches of rain in the last week, according to my rinky-dink rain gauge. Today, it looks like we're in for a long soaking rain. 

As a gardener, this makes me happy. As a dog servant, not so much. Deuce is not a happy Labrador. Will he jump in the creek and have a good splash-about? Every day the sun shines. Does he go outside in the rain to pee-pee? Not if he can help it. I'm just his hooman. I don't understand. I'll just let sleeping dogs lie - on the bed.

A rainy day is a writing day. I'm writing now, right? Blogging is writing, right? Sure it is. I've always looked at the bigger picture, at the business of writing which for me includes blogging and promotion. I was up late last night working on one of the WIPs, so this morning I don't feel quite ready to dive back in. I need to savor that second up of coffee I shouldn't have before I take on that first dinner date. It's a good time to take a look at the spreadsheet I use to keep track of all those Facebook groups. 

Other authors I've read think FB is dead, but I'm still doing pretty good there. I've even wondered if I should start a group of my own, but I really don't want to have to moderate it. 

I've also written about the spreadsheet I use to keep track of my postings. It keeps growing. It's now four separate worksheets - one for general, one for m/m only, one for paranormal, and one for those groups that for one reason or another I've abandoned. And yes, it now has some color coding. It does aid in spreading out my posts and in posting a series in order. 

Jumping into a story first thing in the morning, my coffee gets cold. Taking half an hour or so to post some promos gives me the opportunity to enjoy it, at the very least, warm. My handy-dandy spreadsheet helps me maximize that time. 

Outside my window, the world is green and wet. There won't be any yard work done today, but that's okay. It's a good time to jump into the head of one of my characters and tell his story. Rainy days and storytelling. Sounds like a good mix.

     _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@KCKendricks

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, writers on writing, m/m gay romance, LGBTQ+ romance, contemporary romance, spreadsheets, Facebook, promotions, engaged authors, country living, Labrador Retrievers

Another lesson learned - keep it tidy

January 5, 2025

Over the course of the last few years, I've mentioned that I keep a spreadsheet for all the Facebook groups that allow promotion. I have to. There's over four hundred that I know about, and I suspect that's a drop in the bucket as to how many are really there. I've read where other writers have posted that promotion on Facebook is dead, but I always get a bump in sales when I post a few promos. 

If you see a promotional post from me on Facebook, you know I was taking a break from writing prose or other homestead chores. That's how I do it. I come to the computer with a cup of coffee or a glass of ice water and post promos. I'm resting - or maybe cooling off or warming up - and I don't want to "waste" the time. So I promo. And to help keep me from posting in the same group twenty times in a row and spread the joy properly, I keep a spreadsheet. Do I post in every group every time? Of course not. The spreadsheet shows me where I left off last time. 

It's a great idea if one keeps up with the changes at FB. Not so helpful if you shift columns/rows carelessly.

Ask me how I know this.

With the start of each new year, there are computer tasks to be done. Every document tossed into a holding folder needs to be dragged to where it actually belongs. The budget spreadsheet needs to be updated to the new year. The sales spreadsheet needs updated. All the previous year's tax crap needs to be double checked and in the proper place. AND that pesky Facebook spreadsheet needs to be straightened up and put back into order. Yeah, that took a couple of hours.

My FB SS has several workbooks. One workbook is open promo, one is for M/M only, one for paranormal only, and one for "abandoned" groups. That's a code word for groups that are not worth the time and effort because the admins are MIA and my promo never gets posted. 

It would be a lot more time effective if I moved these problem groups to the abandoned worksheet when I become aware of the fact, but noooooo. Last year, 2024, being what it was, I let too many slide and I had to do a massive clean-up this morning. 

Moral to the story - it's really easier to take care of little problems as they crop up. Better yet, do as I say and not as I do. Or is that I just learned a lesson? Whatever. Here's to doing MUCH better in 2025.

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@KCKendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, writers on writing, m/m romance, LGBT gay romance, spreadsheets, time management, new year, a writer's life, Facebook, promotion, hearsay

Pesky Promotion Pitfalls

August 16, 2023

If there is one thing I don't like about being a writer in 2023, it's doing promotion. I didn't like it twenty years ago and I like it even less now. 

Back then, before Amazon slayed the epublishers, if you had a good website, you did okay. Amazon is no one's friend. It exists to make money, plain and simple. Many, many, many voices have been silenced due to Amazon.

Yahoo used to have groups, as did MSN and Google. They're gone now and we're left with Facebook groups and other social media such as Twitter and YouTube. Doing promotion in the Facebook groups is like navigating several thousand landmine fields. 

"Do this, don't do that! Can't you read the signs????"

Don't misunderstand me - there are myriad groups that are really great for promo. Post and go because an author's time is valuable, at least mine is.  Other groups have a lot of rules, which I add to my spreadsheet. 

I've mentioned the FB spreadsheet before. It's full of KC shorthand, but it works. I know which book I've promoted and when. I know if it went into review, when it posted, and if it's still pending a month later. 

Really, folks. If you're going to review each post, DO IT. My spreadsheet has five worksheets and one page is for groups I've abandoned like a hot potato because I don't have time for nonsense. 

In the past week, I've moved ten groups to the abandoned worksheet. It'll save time in the long run. One group removed my first five promo posts but not the sixth (the first was in January so they were spread out). I don't care what the issue was. I simply cut the group out of my rotation. 

It's not like I enjoy abandoning a particular group. Sure, the groups are full of other writers, but writers are readers, too. Between October and March, I read at least four books a week. April through September are the outdoor fun months, so I probably read four books a month. The point is, writers read. 

And since writers read, I'll stick to posting in the groups that are truly writer-friendly. And on the social media formerly known as Twitter. And YouTube if I can get off my butt long enough to go make a video. Beyond that, I really must figure out what to do with Patreon. But I don't like the idea of having people pay for special treatment. 

That's enough whining for today. Promotion needs to happen, but I don't have to enjoy it. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, gay romance, m/m romance, kindle romance, social media promotion, book promo, spreadsheets, rural living, country lifestyle, a writer's life

Bittersweet hours

My home office and my "staff" 
already lying down on the job

May 19, 2022

Bittersweet. One word to encompass the last twenty-two years of my working life. 

Today, I walked out of my day job office for the last time. It's no longer "my" office, but belongs to a capable young woman named Allyson. I've left it in good hands. 

The plan was for tomorrow to be my last day, but the CEO won't be in tomorrow and so we had our last conversation. I wasn't sure about this woman in the beginning, but I watched her acclimate and grow in the position. Now I think she's probably the best "boss" I've had at this facility. I find that I will miss the morning chats that we called staff meetings. 

And so today became the day I've worked toward and waited on for so long. Today I'm retired.

I'm no longer sure what that means. 

What if I don't feel like doing some of the things I thought I'd want to do? Hmmm. That's a thought, isn't it? 

I'm going to go easy on myself for the next few weeks. I expect to be full of conflicting emotions and ideas. It's going to take some time to adjust to my perpetual vacation. 

I think a spreadsheet may be in order to help me organize the various projects I want to undertake. Just think of all the colorful blocks when I complete something and instead of crossing it off or deleting it, I fill the cell with bright colors! Now that sounds like a plan to plan the plan!

Leaving the day job is bittersweet, but working until I drop dead was never an option for me. The next few weeks will sort themselves out and all will be well. I'll get my project list underway and figure out who I will be in my time of retirement. 

And that's the most daunting task of all. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

The writer in the new year

January 9, 2018

When I embarked on this so-called writing career, there were a few things of which I was unaware. Yes, it's true. I was the perfect example of the neophyte. I was lucky enough to get some good advice early on, and perhaps I should recount that here for posterity. It's really quite simple: keep track of everything you do. 

Welcome to 2018 and the blank spreadsheet! 

With the arrival of January, it's time to close out the last year's spreadsheets. I have spreadsheets for everything. It's ridiculous but necessary. 

Taxes. I have individual folders for each tax year and a spreadsheet summary on all income and expenses for each year. It makes filing the annual tax return a lot easier. 

Activity. Speaking of taxes, I may one day need to prove I actually "participated" in the business I report income and expenses on. I have a spreadsheet with book names, dates, word count progress, completion date, upload to the .com date, and release date. 

Sales. I have a spreadsheet to track the number of copies sold per book and the income per book. This is also handy at tax time but mostly it's because I think it's important to know these things. 

Backup your work. It's January so I have a new jump drive (memory stick, flash drive, whatever you prefer to call it). I keep the old ones in a little box just in case something fucking weird should happen. 

Ideas. I have a spreadsheet with possible titles and possible character names. The best titles come to me while I'm driving. I've actually called home to ask Himself to write down a title for me so I don't forget it by the time I get to my computer. 

Who, in the beginning, knew writing was a business? Not me. But you know what? It's sort of a mood booster to look back over those spreadsheets at the beginning of a new year and pause for a moment. Looking at the data can bring to mind specific moments in the evolution of each creation, a snapshot only the author can see. 

Rather than inciting me to rest on my laurels, they send me forward to the next story. I will make the first wordcount entry on a new spreadsheet and feel as though I've accomplished something that binds my past, present, and future as a whole. 

I like that. 

KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com

K is for Keep a Log (and Kentucky 98 Proof)

Day 11

April 13, 2016

2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge

It’s All About Time

Thanks for stopping by Between the Keys in the 2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge. We’re up to the letter K and Keep a Log.

This is the SIXTH year I’ve participated in the challenge, and this year I’m focusing on how I manage my time.

*_*_*_*_*

I keep an activity log. It’s a simple spreadsheet, but I it’s a vital tool for this writer.

My spreadsheet has a workbook for each year, but you may prefer separate spreadsheets. There's no right or wrong. It's about what works for you.

On mine, the book titles go across the top in row 1, and dates go down the side in column A. Whenever there’s something to record - first clicks, updated work count, book submitted, contract, edits, cover, release date, review - it gets added in the column for that book. (That doesn’t mean I have 365 rows on each workbook. I only record word count every few days if that’s all I have to track.)

This way, I don’t need to waste time searching through file folders to find dates for anything. I've kept a log and it’s all on the spreadsheet.

And it feels pretty darn good to view my writing history, too.

*_*_*_*

K is for Kentucky 98 Proof
Available now at Amazon
www.amazon.com/Kentucky-98-Proof-KC-Kendricks-ebook/dp/B01E7JEXJ8

(I confess. This is one of my favorite stories.)

KENTUCKY 98 PROOF

Victor Carter knows his grandfather only from a handful of black and white photographs, so his surprise when the man’s will is read is genuine. What’s he going to do with seventy acres on the side of a Kentucky mountain? More importantly, how’s he going to survive living there for a year to satisfy the conditions of the will so he can sell the property? Even worse, it’s not like the hills of Kentucky are teeming with gay companionship.

Boone Mosely is Kentucky born and bred with a proud family heritage he can trace back to his home state’s founding. Following in his uncle’s footsteps, Boone’s in his second term as sheriff of Four Points. He takes the job seriously and doesn’t suffer fools - or crime - in his town.

When city slicker Victor Carter arrives on Shepherd Mountain, Boone knows he’s got a whole new brand of trouble to deal with. And this time, the badge isn’t going to help him at all.

For an excerpt and buy links for Kentucky 98 Proof, please the webpage listed below. 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/kentucky-98-proof-by-kc-kendricks.html

KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Life through the eyes of Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks