Project Management for Authors

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the endless task of writing, publishing, and marketing your book? Well, you’re not alone. From deciding which software to use for writing to figuring out how to keep track of all the characters in your story, the choices can feel paralyzing, and the number of things that need to be done can be very overwhelming.

Besides your writing tasks, you have the business side of things: scheduling meetings, tracking your finances, recording book sales, running ads, and figuring out if your business is actually profitable.

If just thinking about your to-do list is raising your blood pressure, it’s time for you to take control and reduce your stress by learning a technique called project management. Project management is often used in the corporate world, but you can implement the technique for yourself.

Creating a project management system that works for you can can reduce stress so that when you are writing, you are focused on writing and not thinking about a dozen other things. If you’re holding a dozen other things in your head, you’ll be less creative.

The better your system, the more focus you have for your writing, which allows you to write better and faster.

I recently spoke with Lorna K. Bailey. Since 2014, Lorna has worked as an executive author’s assistant, and she has helped many top authors grow their sales and increase their focus on writing.

Lorna: I’m excited to chat about something that many authors might find boring, but I think it is very important.

Thomas: Reducing stress is never boring if you’re successful at it.

What is a project management system?

Thomas: A project management system lets you know what needs to be done, when, and who needs to do it.

Now, when you’re first getting started, the who is you.

You’re juggling many tasks, but a key advantage of having a good system is that it allows you to capture everything in an organized way. Your project management system helps you identify what can be delegated and start delegating effectively. If you’re struggling with something, there are two paths forward:

1. If it’s something only you can do—like writing—you may need to focus on improving your skills in that area.

2. If it’s a task someone else can handle, especially if it’s a weakness for you, it’s a great opportunity to delegate.

A solid system helps you see these options more clearly.

Authors often delegate their bookkeeping or accounting. Every April, they lose three weeks of writing because they’re bad at doing their taxes.

What if I told you there are people who excel at doing taxes, and for a fee, they can handle yours while you use that time to write?

Early on in your career, hiring someone might not be feasible since three weeks of writing might not generate income for you yet. However, as you become more successful, those three weeks of writing can have monetary value attached. At that point, it might be worth it to hire an accountant to handle your taxes so you can focus on what you do best.

A system can be as simple as using a piece of paper. If you don’t have a system, start by writing out everything that needs to be done. Then, take a fresh piece of paper and rewrite the list in order of importance. Listing and reordering your tasks can be surprisingly relaxing and bring clarity to what needs to be done.

Lorna: Many authors fall into the trap of shiny object syndrome. They see someone having success with a strategy, like BookBub ads, and they think, “I should do that too!” However, they don’t stop to consider how that strategy fits into their overall marketing plan.

This approach also forces you to confront your limits. You can’t keep adding new strategies without consequences. If you want to adopt a new tactic, you either need to drop an existing one or hire help. If you don’t, you’ll get overwhelmed. You’ll wonder why you’re not selling more books when your marketing efforts are scattered in five different directions.

It’s crucial for authors to understand that their work happens in seasons. There may be seasons when you’re deep in the writing cave, focused solely on creating. During that time, you might produce five books in just a few months, but you’re not actively marketing at full steam. Later, you can shift gears and rapid-release those books.

That approach works brilliantly for some authors but can be disastrous for others. Every author is different, and it’s important to find the rhythm and strategy that aligns with your strengths.

Thomas: Rapid release works for very few people, but the people that it does work for won’t shut up about it. If you’ve ever been tempted to do rapid release, listen to my episode called The Tortoise Release Method, and it will help you figure out if rapid release is right for you.

Lorna: Rapid-release authors get so burnt out, and then they fall off the face of the earth and don’t release a book for several years. They end up hating writing, and no one wants that.

How can authors avoid burnout?

Thomas: To avoid burnout, I recommend implementing Brandon Sanderson’s crop rotation method for staying productive. With his method, you’re not writing intensely for five months. You’re switching tasks and using each task to rejuvenate a different part of your brain. Writing, editing, marketing, and business admin tasks use different parts of your brain. If you get the right rotation, each activity will put a different nutrient back into the soil of your mind. Switching activities keeps the soil of your mind from being depleted.

Start with a to-do list.

Thomas: For years, I used a to-do list template that I would print out, put on a clipboard, and write on. The template had priority numbers, which helped me organize tasks. One thing I appreciated about it was that when I ran out of space, I had to print a new copy and manually transfer any unfinished tasks to the new list.

This process forced me to evaluate each task and whether it really needed to be done. When you first create a to-do list, it’s easy to write a bunch of tasks you feel obligated to do or feel guilty about not doing. For example, you might think, I should work on Goodreads, but do you really need to? Maybe Goodreads can wait; maybe it isn’t necessary at all.

Figuring out when something needs to be done is really valuable. If I found myself procrastinating on one task, sometimes I would just leave it off the next list entirely. Then I realized that leaving it off the list was just like getting it done. I gave myself permission not to do that thing. It felt just as good, but I didn’t have to do the work.

How can I deal with big projects I keep putting off?

Sometimes, we procrastinate because the project is too big. Let’s say your usual work window is two hours at a time. After two hours, the dogs are barking, the kids need attention, or you need a break. Tasks that take longer than two hours will always feel overwhelming and get postponed.

Even if your chunk of time is only 30 minutes, the principle is the same. If a task is too large to fit into your available window, you’ll keep putting it off. What you need to do is take a metaphorical hammer to that task and break it into smaller, more manageable pieces.

For example, “Complete chapter one” is a big task.

“Write 1,000 words on chapter one” or “Edit chapter one” are more manageable tasks that can be completed in smaller chunks of time. Completing smaller tasks gives you a greater sense of accomplishment, and you can actually make progress.

Lorna: That’s why I often say project management for authors is really about self-management. It requires self-awareness to recognize when you’re putting off a task because you don’t know how to do it or because it feels intimidating.

Take Facebook ads, for example. Running effective ads is a specific marketing skill you have to learn. Yet, many authors think they can master Facebook ads in an afternoon. Then they try, their ads flop, and they don’t understand why. Success with Facebook ads requires iteration and analysis. You need to evaluate: Was the copy ineffective? Was the creative poorly designed? What wasn’t working? It’s a process of learning and refining.

Thomas: You might think the first task is “learn how to do Facebook ads,” but that’s not it. Maybe you think you need to “take a course on Facebook ads,” but even before that, the real first task is “research which course is the best one for me to learn Facebook ads.”

When making your to-do list, only list the next step. Facebook ads aren’t the next step, but researching your options for learning Facebook ads is a good next step.

You’re not committing to buying anything. Watch some free YouTube videos. Find out who the Facebook ad gurus are. I’ve interviewed many of the gurus on Facebook ads, so you can hear me interrogate them for free. So maybe your next step is to “listen to Thomas’s episodes on Facebook ads.”

Lorna: Absolutely. And if you hate tools like Asana, Trello, or Notion, that’s okay. It just means you need to find what works best for you. Maybe a paper planner works best for you. I used a paper planner for years while managing large teams and projects as an executive assistant, and it worked perfectly for how my brain operates. I got things done and often finished them ahead of time.

At times, I felt guilt or shame, wondering if I could be more productive by fully adopting tools like Notion, Asana, or Trello. But I realized that if I’m reaching my goals, and the system I’m using works for both me and the team, there’s no need to force a change. We’re always open to exploring new methods, but the priority is finding what truly works and building from there.

If you sit down and list out everything you need to do to publish a book, it can feel overwhelming. But you can tackle it by reverse engineering from your desired publish date.

How much time does your editor need? How long will it take your cover designer to complete the cover? Some designers have quick turnaround times, while others may need two to three weeks or more. If you’re designing your own covers, how much time will you need for that?

By realistically mapping out each step based on your launch date, you can create a manageable timeline.

Then there are the background tasks, like managing your social media. Are you batch-creating your content? Are you doing social media? What does your overall marketing plan look like?

A good first step is to get all those thoughts out of your head and onto paper. It’s always messy at first. That’s okay. Let it be messy. Start there, and you can refine and organize as you go.

I’m a big advocate for removing shame and guilt from the productivity process. It’s about progress, not perfection.

Everyone makes mistakes. No one has it all figured out right from the start. Most authors begin as a bit of a mess, experimenting to find what works and what doesn’t, and that’s completely normal. What’s important is finding a system that works for you, sticking with it, and improving it over time.

When it’s time to hire a bookkeeper, an assistant, or even a cover designer, having your process documented will set them up for success and also make your workflow smoother.

Many authors overlook this step. It’s not about becoming a rigid, overly structured, “productive” author at the expense of creativity. Instead, it’s about finding a system that supports your creativity and goals. When you implement that system, you’re better prepared to onboard new team members and set everyone up for success.

Thomas: If your system makes you feel guilt and shame, something is broken. Some people approach project management systems as if they’re about good versus bad or even virtue versus vice. But that’s not helpful. Instead, think of systems in terms of effectiveness. What’s more effective and what’s less effective? This mindset shift can make all the difference.

If you’re out working in the fields, hoeing weeds, it’s good and virtuous work. But it’s even better if you’re doing the same task with a sharp hoe. There’s no wrongdoing in using a dull hoe. However, with a sharp hoe, you can get more done and work more effectively. It’s not about right or wrong; it’s about optimizing your tools to maximize your effort.

A To-Do List Template

My to-do list template had four tiers and a final level, which I labeled “D” for delegate.

Level 1: Today will be a failure if I don’t get this done. (Use this designation sparingly.)

Level 2: Important but not urgent.

Level 3: Critical to move a project forward. (These unfinished tasks are holding up a project)

Level 4: Important project step. (This is important for the project, but it’s not holding up the process).

Level D: Delegate. (As I look through my to-do list, I evaluate whether each task is something I could delegate).

You can download my template below.

Why is it hard for some people to delegate?

Every task needs to be assigned to a specific person. You can’t delegate to a group. For example, if I tell two children to pick up the toys, neither of them will do it. But if I assign one child to pick up the blocks and the other to pick up the shoes, the task is much more likely to get done.

If I assign both children to pick up the blocks, they’ll each claim the other wasn’t working hard enough, and the blocks will stay on the floor. The same principle applies to freelancers and employees. Tasks must be clearly assigned to an individual for accountability and completion.

Lorna: Some people say, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” I get the sentiment, but it’s worth examining where that mindset comes from. Is it rooted in a scarcity mindset? Perhaps the belief that if you’re not a successful author entirely on your own, then others might dismiss your achievements.

It’s important to think about where your productivity blocks are stemming from, especially when it comes to your mindset. Taking the time to understand these barriers can help you move forward more effectively.

Thomas: Nobody actually lives by the saying, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” You don’t grow all your own food—maybe you have a garden to supplement, but most of the calories you consume are grown by someone else. You don’t change your own oil, build your own computer, or construct your own house. Almost nothing in your life aligns with that mindset.

So, when you catch yourself thinking that way, recognize it’s probably not true—except for one key area: writing your book. That’s the one thing you, as an author, must do yourself. You can delegate everything else.

My dad is a successful CPA with his own firm, and one of the most helpful pieces of advice my dad gave me was, “Only do what only you can do. Delegate the rest.” He reminded me of this constantly when I was a CEO, especially when I felt like I had to handle everything myself. It was a powerful rule of thumb that helped me focus on my unique responsibilities and let go of the rest.

You might be better at a task than other people, but that doesn’t mean you should be the one doing it. Someone once asked Paul McCartney if Ringo Starr was the best drummer in the world. Paul replied, “Best drummer in the world? He’s not even the best drummer in the Beatles.”

Apparently, other band members could play the drums better than Ringo, but they were also better at their own instruments. So, it made sense for Ringo to stick with the drums, even if someone else could technically do it better.

It’s okay for some things not to be done as well as they could be, and it’s okay to delegate.

What’s the best way to use a calendar?

Thomas: When I ran my website company, I used to be very list-focused. Tasks needed to be prioritized and completed for our projects to move forward.

Since then, I have gone through a metamorphosis. Now that people expect a new podcast episode every week, the timing of tasks has become far more important. I no longer use a to-do list. Instead, I use a calendar to schedule appointments with myself to work on specific tasks. For example, tomorrow, I’m editing a podcast. It’s on my calendar as an appointment with myself because the deadline for that podcast is real.

I use Google Calendar because it allows me to invite others to events. Tools like Calendly make scheduling with others seamless. For instance, when you were coming on the podcast, we didn’t have to go back and forth trying to coordinate times. Instead, I sent you a Calendly link. You clicked it, saw my available slots, compared them with your calendar, and selected a time that worked for both of us. That appointment was automatically added to my calendar.

This simple automation saves me countless hours of unnecessary back-and-forth emails. Tools like Calendly or TinyCal are incredibly helpful. However, you can’t take advantage of them if you’re still relying on a paper calendar. While paper calendars might work for some things, I don’t think they’re ideal for project management.

Lorna: If you’re working with a team or even as an author collaborating with editors, digital calendars are the way of the world now. I still use my planner to plan out my day and figure out what tasks I’m doing and when I’m doing them. But when I work with executives, the first thing we focus on is their calendar because it’s such a clear reflection of where their time and priorities are.

Schedule Like Tasks According to Your Preference

A lot of people feel like their calendar is chaotic. They have meetings scattered all over the place, and their week looks like a checkerboard. Maybe your calendar as an author looks the same. Some people hate that. We’ll go in and assess whether it works better to group all your meetings on one day, back to back. For some, that sounds like a nightmare, and they’d rather have their meetings spread throughout the week, which is fine. But most of the executives I’ve worked with say, “Let’s do it,” and it changes the game for them. Often, they’ll dedicate Mondays or Fridays to meetings and leave the rest of the week open for focused productivity.

It’s also important to assess your energy levels. Some people have tons of energy in the mornings and don’t want that time interrupted by meetings, so we schedule meetings in the afternoons. As an author, you can manage your schedule in the same way. When is your best writing time? Is it late at night after the kids are in bed? Are you wasting that time scrolling through TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook when you could be writing? Save the scrolling for a less productive time—like when you’re getting ready for work in the morning.

Figuring out when you’re most productive and structuring your calendar to match can make a huge difference. It’s all about finding what works for you.

Thomas: Maybe don’t scroll on TikTok. You don’t have to. You had a happy life before TikTok came along, and you will have a happy life if it gets banned.

Schedule According to Your Energy Level

Lorna: Think about where your energy levels are throughout the day. Some people get a surprising energy burst in the afternoons.

As an author, if you’re working full-time on your craft, you might choose to handle admin tasks in the morning and save the afternoons for writing, if that’s when your creativity peaks. Everyone is different, so you have to assess your energy patterns, evaluate your calendar, and be brutally honest with yourself about how you’re spending your time.

I recently worked with an executive who served on multiple nonprofit boards. The commitments were consuming a full two days a week with board meetings and related tasks, leaving little time for writing a book. From an outside perspective, it was clear they needed to step back from some of those responsibilities to free up time for their personal projects.

Having that outside perspective on your calendar and how you’re spending your time can be eye-opening. You might feel frustrated, wondering why you can’t get your book done. The answer often lies in the number of things on your plate. Something has to give.

It all comes back to self-management. The first step in project management for authors is managing yourself. Take a hard, honest look at your commitments, build self-awareness, and create space to focus on what truly matters.

Schedule Recurring Tasks

Thomas: With paper calendars, people often only write down unique events and keep recurring tasks in their heads. But with a digital calendar, you can document it all. For example, I have “going to church” on my calendar.

I’ve been going to church since I was a kid, but I still put it on my calendar. I like to see it visually at 10:00 on a Sunday. I do the same for all my standing meetings. If I have a recurring meeting, I don’t assume I’ll remember it; I add it to my calendar.

This approach lets me clearly see how I’m spending my time. I can see how three hours here, two hours there, and four hours somewhere else add up over the week. Seeing it all laid out makes it easier to manage and adjust my schedule effectively.

Batching

Another helpful strategy is batching similar tasks together and doing them back-to-back. For some people, grouping tasks this way is incredibly effective. It also helps with transitions, like moving from one meeting to the next. If you know another meeting is starting soon, it naturally pulls you out of the current one. That way, you’re not saying “no” to the person in the current meeting; you’re saying “yes” to the next person.

Once all your tasks are on your calendar, including your day job responsibilities, you can see everything visually. This clarity makes it easier to manage your time and prioritize effectively.

Seeing it all together helps you understand if you’re overcommitted

Calendaring isn’t about squeezing every last drop out of every last second. Rest, family, and margin are important to schedule, too.

Calendaring isn’t about squeezing every last drop
out of every last second.
Thomas Umstattd, Jr.

We often talk about dedicating your best energy to your best projects, but it’s also important to save your low-energy periods for low-energy tasks. For example, if you tend to have less energy after lunch and checking email doesn’t require much focus, schedule email time right after lunch.

A common mistake is checking email first thing in the morning. This often leads to getting pulled in a million directions, especially if you have a team sending you tasks and questions. That prime, high-energy time in the morning should be reserved for your most important work. For authors, that’s almost always writing your book.

Your best energy should go to writing if you want to be a successful author. For some, the first fruits might go to prayer, but the second fruits should go to writing, with everything else coming afterward.

Make writing your priority, and use your low-energy time for tasks like processing emails or other less demanding activities.

Seeing the Big Picture

Lorna: It all comes back to setting yourself up for success. For example, you wouldn’t want to plan a book launch the day after returning from a vacation in Mexico. Being able to look ahead and plan is crucial. I recently ran a workshop with some of my authors called Plotting Your Path, where we mapped out their 2025. We considered the following questions:

How many books do you want to write?
When are you taking vacations?
When will you check in with yourself quarterly?
What does your year look like?

For many, this kind of planning feels foreign, but it’s essential for success. Looking ahead doesn’t mean your year is ruined if you miss a deadline. You can adjust, recover, and get back on track. Using a tool like Google Calendar makes the process simple and helps you see the big picture.

I do this with many of my executives. I even coordinate with their spouses so I can block out their vacation dates on the calendar. That way, avoid scheduling interviews, launches, or projects during that period. I’ve learned to plan proactively, like marking off the last two weeks of December if someone typically takes that time off. It ensures nothing gets scheduled by accident.

Looking ahead also means being practical and realistic. Start with the anchors in your calendar, like vacations, family time, or major projects, and build around those. If you’re struggling to find time to write, it might mean arranging childcare, hiring help, or carving out a full day each week to focus on writing outside the house.

Having a digital calendar helps you visualize it all.

Thomas: You also need to schedule recovery days after a two-week vacation. You can block off a few days in the office to catch up on email and other tasks. Realize that your future self is no better than your current self.

Your future self is not some highly disciplined super person who can work way harder than your present self. Your future version of you is just as lazy as you are.

So be kind to your future self, and don’t overpromise. When you overpromise, your project management system can start to create a lot of guilt and shame because your future self isn’t as energetic or improved as you’d hoped.

Is scheduling time for reflection a time saver or a waste of time?

Lorna: It’s also good to schedule time for reflection. Maybe your book launch didn’t go as well as you’d hoped, even with all the planning. Take time to reflect on what went well and what didn’t. The art of reflection is such a lost skill in our culture.

As you reflect on your calendar, you can ask yourself questions:

Are you exhausted because you didn’t get enough sleep?
Are you exhausted because you did everything yourself?
Is it time to hire some help?
Is it time to stop using a certain strategy with your launch?

Schedule time for reflection, and your future self will thank you.

Thomas: Many successful authors use a technique where they schedule a short solo retreat for a day or two in a hotel room and use the time for planning. They reflect on the past year and what worked. They also map out the year ahead, identifying the most important priorities and goals that need to happen. This quiet, uninterrupted time helps them gain clarity and set a strong foundation for the upcoming year.

For those of you attending the Novel Marketing Conference, we’ve negotiated an incredible deal with the hotels at just $99 a night. Consider staying an extra day after the conference. You’ll have gathered a lot of great ideas and notes during the event, so give yourself the gift of time alone in your hotel room to decompress and process everything.

After all the “people time” at the conference, this is a chance to recharge before returning home to the chaos. Use that time to plan your next year. We scheduled the conference in January because it’s the perfect time for planning.

If you decide to stay an extra day, don’t announce to your author friends that you’re staying, or they’ll want to meet up for brunch. This time is for you. Bring your planner, your calendar, and your big questions:

What will make 2025 successful?
What will make me happy with how this year goes?
What can I stop doing or quit entirely?
What do I need to prioritize?
What is the goal for each month?

If you have a book launch coming up, work backward from your release date and plan when each piece of the process needs to happen.

And if you’re not attending the conference, you can still create this opportunity by booking a hotel in your own city. It’s about carving out intentional time to focus on your goals and set yourself up for success.

Lorna: I know people who have booked train tickets specifically because trains offer a quiet, slow-paced environment. It’s peaceful, not noisy, and you can just sit back, focus, and enjoy the ride. They even bring you food, and there’s a bathroom on board. If you can’t afford a plane ticket or an Airbnb, consider booking a train ticket. You can take a two-hour ride to a nearby city, spend some time there, and then head back. It’s a totally viable option.

Thomas: Give yourself some dedicated time and space for planning. No matter which system you use, setting aside time for big-picture thinking can be incredibly valuable. It’s like sharpening the ax; it makes everything else you’re working on more effective and productive.

If you want Lorna’s help with your project management, she has a course called The Indie Author Empire Course, which will walk you through the process of creating systems step by step. You can find out more about her and her team of author’s assistants and free resources at LornaKBailey.com.

Lorna and I kept talking for another 20 minutes about specific project management tools like Trello, Asana, Notion, Podmatch, and PodcastSOP. The extended edition of this episode is available for patrons on Patreon. If you are a patron, you will find the extended edition in the patron feed.

If you’re not yet a patron, you can become one! When you become a patron, you get a bonus Q&A episode every month, extended episodes, and my bonus Election Analysis for Authors episode. Patrons also get exclusive discounts on courses and a free ticket to our Patron Appreciation Ice Cream Social in January.

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