Authortube: Juggling It With Writing

AUTHORTUBE: JUGGLING IT WITH WRITING

This is a topic that comes up a lot within the Authortube community, how do you juggle good quality content, while also getting time to write, revise, edit and all the rest of it. I'm lucky in the fact that I don't have a regular full time job so I can, mostly, do what I like when I like. I did, however, think that doing a blog posts, with a few tips for those either new to authortube, or thinking about joining, on how I juggle the load of one video a week, and still find time to write on days when things are just too stressful.

#1. PLAN AHEAD
Now this might seem obvious, it might be one of those things you already are doing and it doesn't seem to help, but stick with me here! Planning ahead gives you some idea of what content you want to record and when you want it to go live. It might not always work out neatly, but having some idea of what you want to do and when, can help you then manage your time to make sure that the videos and writing aren't fighting for space in the same time slot.

#2. DON'T ENCROACH ON YOUR WRITING TIME
By this I mean that if you have a set routine and schedule writing wise, that you always write for an hour in the morning/evening, then don't let Authortube take away that time from you. Guard your writing time and make sure that things stay separate. That way you still get to do your words, and the videos are relegated to a different time.

#3. BATCH FILM IF POSSIBLE
I know a lot of Authortubers who batch film because they only have a small allotted space of time to record. This way they can get their videos filmed all in one go and edit and such when they have spare moments. I don't do this because it's not something that works for me, but I do record all my videos a month in advance, bar the ones that have a time limit on them. Like, for instance, my life of Joey videos don't get recorded hugely in advance because they deal with what I've done over the past month and it'd make no sense to record them before everything had happened. But if you can batch film and you think it'll work for you, then go for it.

#4. SCHEDULE UPLOADS, AND YOUR TIME
I also don't do the scheduled uploads, because I like to cross-post and all of that so I figure why schedule the post when I'm gonna be going in there anywhere to do all of that. But if you can schedule them so that the video goes live at a certain time, then go for it, it takes that pressure off you to remember and to fit it in to your busy schedule. Again, make sure you don't plan for them to go live during your writing time, because then you end up spending that sacred time dealing with comments and the like.

Also, plan your time. This is something that I think most writers do, especially when working a full time job. They plan the time they're gonna be writing and working and all of that. The same applies to Authortube, whether that's recording a video, dealing with comments, or anything else that goes along those same lines. Personally I go between sticky notes and a journal so that I know what I'm supposed to be doing that day and when, but you can find what works for you!

And finally, #5. DON'T BE AFRAID TO CHANGE THINGS IF THEY DON'T WORK
By this I mean, say you find batch filming really stressful and end up struggling to find time to edit, then you need to rework how you approach things. If you don't batch film, and you want to, give it a go, it might work for you. There is no point in going along with something if you know it's not working for you. It's setting yourself up to fail, and it just adds to your stress levels.

Personally, I set aside a day in my schedule to film, edit, upload and all the rest. Like I said, I record, mostly, a month in advance, but that doesn't mean that you have to. I've had the stressful moments of worrying if I'll get a video up in time, and so far, it's not happened, but the worry is still there. You gotta find what works for you, and you might have to do a bit of trial and error, especially when it comes to keeping time to yourself so you can write.

Lemme know in the comments any tips you have for writing and balancing Authortube, or if you have any questions for me!

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