Making Time to Read

Ninety percent of my work involves reading and assessing manuscripts, making me the luckiest person in the world. But after about a month of wading through the slush pile, I noticed I was only reading for work. When I asked experienced agents about this they confirmed that they rarely had time to read for fun.  I could not let this happen, especially not while participating in the 50 book pledge. I quickly took steps to solve the problem.

I got an e-reader

Or rather my friend got me one and thereby gifted me four extra reading hours per day. I have a very long commute so being able to get the bulk of my work reading done while in transit gives me more freedom to read whatever I want at home.

I put “read” at the top of my to-do list

Those who know me know that my to-do list rules my life. And now reading is at the top every day. I can justify this because 1) I cannot be a good editor/agent if I don’t read good books and 2) leisure is an important part of staying healthy and happy. Reading is one of my favorite forms of self-care so why deny myself?

I talk about books all the time

Most of the people I talk to regularly are also passionate about reading and books. It would be really hard to keep up with their conversations if all I read were manuscripts. Having a community of friends here, on Twitter, and in real life to discuss my thoughts with encourages me to read more so I’ll have thoughts to share! 

What do you do to make time to read?