The Writer's Whirlwind (Lizzie)

I've been thinking a lot lately about money ... ahem ... writing. Okay. Both. They seem to always go hand in hand, often with time thrown in there as well, all chasing one another around until the three are a tangled mess. Professional books require a considerable investment of time and money, especially if you're an indie author. Is it worth it?

My thoughts have been going round in circles,
but haven't been this pretty.

The reason I am caught up in this whirlwind is that I decided to use some of my income tax refund to hire a professional cover designer to create a new cover for The Beast's Enchantress. It's been out for four years, you say, why spend money for a new cover now? Well, because it's my book and I want it to look as amazing as possible, and for practical reasons, since books with amazing covers sell better and authors with books that sell well are more appealing to agents and book buyers (as in people who buy books to sell in book stores).

This seemingly simple desire for a new cover, however, spawned a summer of questions and decisions. What other changes do I want to make while I'm making changes? Do I want to keep the trim size the same? The title? My author name? How do I want it printed and distributed? How would these affect my author brand and marketing? (There are no changes to the story itself, don't worry about that.)

So instead of a relaxing summer dreaming about the beach, I've been evaluating my long-term goals and dreams. What do I really want for my life in general? How much does writing factor into that? What's best for my writing career, not just for this one book and the ones I hope to put out soon, but long term? Am I willing to sacrifice the necessary time and money for a serious writing career?

Needless to say, I decided my writing career is worth an investment of time and money. God put the passion in me, and I must pursue it to his glory. But what about your dreams? Have you evaluated what's worth your time and money? What might you need to get more serious about or downgrade to a hobby?