Halfway through the year, we should evaluate our status regarding the goals we’ve set for ourselves. Back in January, I listed these objectives for the year. I divided them into Writing Goals and Career Goals. Think about doing this if you’re an author. Let’s see how I’ve done in this progress report. If you’re wondering what I’ve been doing with my time, this will update you on my current projects.
Writing Goals
Finish and Submit Hair Brained, #14 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries.
Ongoing. I finished this story at 85,000 words and submitted it to a freelance editor. I am working on these edits. This title will be published by Orange Grove Press in 2017.
Publish Author’s Edition of Permed to Death, #1 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries.
Done and published in March.
Commence audio book process via ACX, starting with Permed to Death audiobook.
Done. This title is in production.
Revise backlist mystery titles Highlights to Heaven, Died Blonde and Dead Roots.
Ongoing. I’ve completed revisions on Highlights to Heaven and need one more read-through.
Learn how to write short fiction.
Done. I wrote “Haunted Hair Nights,” a Bad Hair Day mystery novella, which will appear in the Happy Homicides 4: Fall into Murder Anthology. Release date is Sept. 2016. I plan to issue this novella separately in a print edition, hopefully in October.
Business Goals
Enter Peril by Ponytail in writing contests.
Done.
Learn about box sets. Consider bundling books 1-3 as a special offer.
Postponed.
Hold Facebook launch parties for each backlist Author’s Edition and audiobooks.
Ongoing. Next party will be to celebrate my first audiobook release.
Plan a promo campaign for Facials Can Be Fatal (Bad Hair Day #13) to be released by Five Star in Feb. 2017.
I have put together the book trailer except for special effects and music. Waiting for cover art and ARCs.
Keep up with quarterly newsletter, blogs and social media.
Ongoing.
Extra Accomplishments
I edited and published Florida Escape by Harry I. Heller. This is my father’s account of his 1935 true-life adventures in South Florida, where he encountered dismal swamps, sneaky skunks, black panthers, isolated beaches, and hidden chests buried in sand.
New Goals
Revise book one in a new mystery series. This book is written but needs polishing.
Learn how to put my lectures on Power Point.
Learn how to put books on sale across various vendors.
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So there you have it. Readers, what would you have me work on next? Writers, have you reassessed your goals lately?
CONTEST ALERT!
Booklovers Bench
Last 2 Days! Enter June 1-18 to win a $25 Amazon/BN gift card from Booklover’s Bench, where readers are winners. http://bookloversbench.com/contest/
Romance the Summer Contest
Enter June 7-21 to win a gemstone necklace from Effy plus a signed copy of Shear Murder, my wedding mystery. Two runners-up prizes of signed proof copies Permed to Death Author’s Edition.. https://nancyjcohen.com/contest/
Thank you for your generosity in showing what you accomplish each year. I would really, really, like to see how you get this done. What you do each day. Do you do certain things on certain days or do you get it all done each day on a schedule. On goodreads I asked Alexander McCall Smith how he got so much writing done and he answered that he writes for four hours each morning every day. He probably has assistants to do all the writerly chores for him!
I love your work and am now just on the third chapter of Hanging By A Hair. Living in a HOA I am relating right off the bat! HA!
ann mcallister clark
Depends on which phase I’m in as to what I do each day. See my post below on the Five Stages of Writing. When I am working on a new book, I must do five pages a day. For revisions, it’s at least 10 pages a day. I set daily goals. Tonight I’ll think about what I want to accomplish tomorrow. Usually I do the writing or revisions early in the morning. Then I can spend afternoons on promo or social media. Self-discipline is the key. As an example, tomorrow morning I’ll continue working on the edits for Hair Brained. In the afternoon, I might do revisions on Died Blonde chapter one, because I want to include this as a teaser in my Author’s Edition of Highlights to Heaven. It also depends on what deadlines I have. Once my new audiobook comes out, I’d like to devote a couple of weeks just to marketing. It will be nice when I can get all the backlist titles done so I can focus solely on new work, but the revised editions are really necessary for the audios. I’ll be describing this process in another blog series. Anyway, I really appreciate your feedback and interest!
I hope your contest is a resounding success!
Thanks, today is the last day for folks to enter.