Back again—let’s summarize our theme for the month of May! This month, we tackled self-care for authors, and divulged tips for staying engaged in your writing and inspired in your craft even when you’re away from your desk!

Breaks are so, so important, and a forgiving attitude towards your own mental state is an absolute necessity in this cutthroat business of rejection and reviews. A lot of authors seem to think they’re required to spend all their free time writing. If they don’t churn out at least one book a year, sometimes more, it’s as good as “failing.”

Let us be clear: breaks are necessary and okay.

Every author takes a hiatus from writing at some point in their career. Real life is messy, and sometimes needs our full attention. The lovely thing about this passion of writing is that it will wait for you. You don’t become a terrible author just because you pause in practicing your craft.

Of course, regardless of how long the break is, we offered a few tips for staying inspired in the interim, even as you’re enjoying life outside a Word document! Try these tips as a form of writerly self-care!

• Join an online community of writers. That way, even when you’re not actively writing, you’re thinking about your books!
• Write some fanfiction. This is a great way to get instant feedback on your work, and keep words flowing when nothing else inspires you.
• Consume content in your genre. Watch a sci-fi movie, and analyze how they accomplished certain things—then take that to your space opera novel!
• Have a cup of tea, or light your favorite candle. These little options of self-care can center you in a world of chaos.
• Ask betas for a positivity pass. Your betas might be willing to read your book and offer only positive feedback to inspire you to continue! Ask them about it!

Check out our Instagram (@BookLightEditorial) and Twitter @FromCarly to see more tips on self-care for authors!

No matter what you do to, please remember to give yourself grace. This business is deeply personal, yet thrives on rejection. If you feel yourself getting fatigued, frustrated, or depressed, please step back and remember why you started in the first place. For most of us, it’s not to get published—it’s because we deeply love this craft.

That love will still be there, no matter what.

Stay tuned for June’s theme: Settings!