I am not good at multitasking. Well, I can be good, and have done it, but our son can attest to how often I burst out with, "I can only do one thing at a time!"
And yet, here I am, working on marketing and promotion of my first novel, "Delilah of Sunhats and Swans", working to get it in a local bookstore and set up a reading there; designing, proofing and re-proofing my next book, "Still, Life: a collection of echoes" -- a collection of short-shorts nearly ready to launch; editing/re-writing my tween fantasy adventure novel, "The Thirteenth Moon -- a Moya Fairwell Adventure. All at the same time.
I've always wanted to learn how to juggle!
In truth, it's not hard to do all at once, and I guess I'm making up for some lost time, as I had put all of it on the back burner for a while now. But while I am in a holding pattern with the second book, waiting for proofs, I can send quick emails and order copies of "Delilah". Once that's done, I'm in a holding pattern for that as well, and so go back to editing "Moya". And having all of them going at once actually helps to keep the energy going for each one separately; planning and prepping for one, keeps my writer's momentum moving forward so I'm ready to just hop off one horse and onto another mid-run like a western stunt rider. Sometimes if I stop altogether, it's tough to get going again. I forget what it was I had in mind.
So here I sit, answering book store emails, uploading new edits/designs and re-working chapters all at once. But each project is steadily moving forward and that's what's important.
When I'm writing, I'm like a shark -- if I stop moving, I'll die.
We'll, maybe not die, but I'd lose track, run out of steam and come to halt -- and in writing, that can be a lot like death.