I am expecting my first child in March. My husband and I can’t wait to meet our little boy, but are a bit apprehensive of having our lives turned upside down.  While starting and nurturing our own family unit is a high priority for us, we maintain two busy careers.  And to further complicate matters, I am giving birth to more than just a human baby this spring.  I also have two new books coming out.

When it comes to book promotion, and all of the things that go with it (i.e. doing media outreach, planning personal appearances, building a website, and writing articles and blog posts), the best time to start is two weeks prior to the release date.  This happens to coincide perfectly with my baby’s due date.

If I think about this too much, I get a headache.  And I know that if I waited to do all of these things until my son enters the world, I would be one basketcase of a new mom.  So instead, I’ve decided to plan ahead.  Though we’re more than two months out from launch, I’m already talking to my publicists and learning what exactly will be expected of me and when.  I’ve started creating written materials and putting promotional vehicles in place so that when the time comes, I can simply push a button to send them live. 

No one is telling me to finish these things now, so I’m not making anyone else feel better by getting them done early.  Plain and simple, it makes ME feel less stressed out and overwhelmed.  And so I suppose the takeaway point is: if you have a massive project with a crazy schedule on the horizon, don’t put off thinking about it until it’s too late to manage it effectively.  Procrastination may be tempting, but it’s more important to come out of the situation with your sanity intact!