With the new year upon us, I have come up with some goals for writing, blogging and sales. I have decided to forego the usual resolutions this year and set goals. My long-term goal is to be able to only work part-time or not at all on my now full-time job by the year 2015. That goal had originally been set for June of 2013, at the time my youngest would graduate but I don't feel at this time that this is an attainable goal. In other words, I need to have books supporting me instead of me supporting them in order to quit my job or cut back to part-time hours. So I have set the following goals for both my JGDS series (you can check out the JGDS blot here or the JGDS website here for more information) as well as my other writings:
1. Blog at least twice a week. (CORRECTED SCHEDULE)
(Blogging schedule will be something like this:
Mondays and Thursdays - Writing announcements and other info.
Tuesdays - open or repostings or linking back to other's blog postings of interest
Wednesdays - special postings from students (Wednesday Weekly Young Writers Writing Questions (WWYWWQ) - I will try to answer students' questions about the writing process or problems they encounter during their writing class, writing club or just in general to their personal writing.
Fourth Monday and Wednesday of month - Guest posts
Fridays - Book reviews
2. Have guest bloggers at least twice a month as well as appear on other's blogs throughout the year - (I'm scheduled to be on Barbara Ehrentreu's blog on the 26th of this month; will have a promotional post for Karen Cioffi up on the 3rd of January and am trying to have Leslie Dubois author of Ain't No Sunshine guest in February, who will also be an exhibitor with me at the SCASL conference in March. I'm trying to schedule the other who will be at the SCASL with Leslie (aka Sybil Nelson author of the Priscilla the Great series) author, Sarah Renee for February as well. This will be a bit trickier since I'm late on schedulding guests for January but hopefully starting in February I will have at least two guests a month.) Schedule will be guests the last week of the month, Monday and Wednesday, and I'll have librarians, teachers, YA and children's authors (hopefully).
3. Hold more contests to hopefully draw in readers and boost sales.
4. Write the next four state stories in the first three weeks of January (clear the table of what will be coming out for the year)
5. Write something every day - whether it be 15 minutes or an hour, but I will write every day. (I started a new story on Friday, December 30th, that I'm anxious to see where it goes, so that may be something I'll work through and possibly publish later this year).
6. Do whatever it takes to have consistent monthly sales of 15 of each title available. (This number seems low but considering my sales goals last year for the 10 titles available were extremely low, this is jumping point. I'd really like to see 25 of each title sell each month but I don't want to be disappointed too much when I don't meet my sales goal. The biggest problem with my numbers is that I can't accurately gauge my total sales since two of my books are still under 4RV Publishing and won't come out of contract until May of this year and June of next year, so the only sales I can depend on right now with those two titles are actual in-person/email/paypal sales directly through me. I'm hoping by having my QR codes available at live events for instant availability of the stories will help boost the sales some as well as offering a giveaway related to the book if purchase is made from the QR code at the event.)
I was shooting for five goals but ended up with six. This will be a start to the year and in six months, I can always re-evaluate and see where I need to make changes or adjustments.
What are some of your writing goals/challenges this year? Leave a comment and be entered for an ebook version of one of my non-state books - "The Proposal" (an April Fools Day story), "The Tulip Kiss", "Bride-and-Seek" (available soon), or "Butterfly Halves" (available soon). Comments made through the middle of January will go in the random drawing. The more individuals who comment, the more drawings I'll do - up to 4 total. See you in the postings - E :)
Showing posts with label new year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new year. Show all posts
Sunday, January 01, 2012
Monday, December 31, 2007
2007 in review - Happy New Year
Everyone is making resolutions this time of year but I don't make resolutions because they are so hard to keep. Anyway - I figured I would take the time to sum up the year and what's happened with my family and me and my writing.
January - I won the Fast and Frigid contest on Echelon Press with "The Tulip Kiss" and my story was published the end of January. It was only a $1 but it was a publication, even if electronically.
February I entered the fast and Frisky contest, "Bride-and-Seek", also put on by Echelon Press but didn't win that or get published from that.
March I entered the fast and fancy contest, "Butterfly Halves", and Janelle won with "Hear the Wind Blow" and I got chosen to be published. Karen was asked many times when it would be published and I was told by the first part of May. So I kept on about the cover art. The first one she sent me was very goth and I didn't feel it fit the story at all. So got a second cover done - which was way more appropriate than and more appealing.
April I entered my story from February into the SCWW anthology. Waiting is the hardest thing.
Hailie went to Myrtle Beach with the youth group at the church for spring break - she had a great time.
May "Butterfly Halves" was published by Karen - finally - the end of the month - like the last Monday.
June - first part of June - Janelle and I had our fliers distributed at the Chicago thing - which is why I wanted to know when "Butterfly Halves" would be published so we could participate in that - I had already paid my $25 for some space to put stuff out. Of course, with ebooks, it's hard to really do much more than fliers and put on your blog or website or places online. It's not like you can hold a book in your hands unless you print out the pages yourself.
We also both entered the fast and foreign contest that Karen ran in June and the winner was a story that wasn't even written for the contest and had already won an award - so I had a rant about that and she made me remove my rant on my blog - so goes life - but I still have the words and they will never be erased.
The end of June I was fired from Karen's house because she did a very greedy interview on Mysterical-e ezine and I was totally appalled and told Karen so. There is no room in the publishing business for the publisher to be all about the money and not about her authors. Without the authors, she doesn't have a business. So because she didn't like my rant about her June contest nor my email to her about her interview, she fired me - reverted all my rights back to me and told me that was it - I was no longer published - oh well the cycle of writing and being published - I was published and still have that to my credit.
Both the kids went to Baton Rouge with the youth group from the church to help work on houses for Katrina relief. It was a definite experience that they will probably never forget. A long trip but they survived.
July I hear back from the anthology for the SCWW conference and my story, "Bride-and-Seek", was accepted for publication - woohooo - I made a full $5 for that story plus two copies of the anthology and if I attended the conference I would receive a third copy. With Susan from our group being in charge of the conference we were all told in our local group that we had better be there or else - so I had to go as a volunteer - well actually I had registered in June knowing that volunteers were comped the cost of the conference and all I had to pay was my room and whatever other expenses I had - like gas getting there - so it all worked out for that.
Hailie went on a trip with the girls' group to Kansas City, Missouri, for the Blume Conference - where over 3000 girls gathered for fellowship and teachings of the church as well as other areas in the world - they had a great time.
The end of July started band camp for the kids - three weeks of intense heat and working out to prepare for the band season. Normally we start school the first week or so of August but the governor had passed a law or added to our state laws that no school in South Carolina could start before the third Monday of August. Since school wasn't starting until the 21st of August this year, then band camp was moved from the middle of July to the end of the month which worked out better for the kids.
August school started and more band practices.
September - band competitions started - our school only competed in three competitions and we hosted one this year - our first that wasn't an upper state or state competition. Our band placed first in class in all three competitions. We took 2nd at upper state, behind Blue Ridge who wasn't nearly that good and are always expected to win and took 3rd at State - can't beat that considering last year we took 5th at upper state (have to be in the top six upper state or lower state to make it to state) and 11th at state. So we had a good band season.
October was the SCWW conference and it was awesome. I enjoyed the contacts I made, the workshops I got to proctor and attend and everything that went with it. It was a busy weekend but well worth it. I will be attending again this year.
November was a fast month - I don't remember anything really impressive about the month - except maybe it is the month Scoobee went missing (may have been the first part of December). We acquired Spazy Taz girl - a couple of months before this and she was pregnant by now and we had a hunting dog on our property causing problems the day before Thanksgiving and I had to call the pound to come get him because of the fights with him and Scoobee.
December what a month. First it was the month of parties - SCWW, Sisters in Crime, blind group, band, and an SCWW signing party at the bookstore - and then an after party at Bob's house - really enjoyed that. Fruit came in the middle of December and it was a ton of fruit to get delivered or made sure that everyone picked up when they were supposed to, but we didn't have too many who didn't get their fruit the first day. Christmas came with not too much excitement - kind of hard to be into the season when you can't do much for the kids or the family. But we survived. Bear gave everyone money and we did as we wanted or needed the next day. Hailie and I went shopping and on our return home - we had puppies (pictures to follow) - check out the video I've put together) -
So here we are about to ring a new year with 10 puppies, two children not here and me and my blog and my friends ringing in hopefully a prosperous and happy and healthy year - happy new year to all of you my friends, hopefully you will be successful and enjoy a great year. -- see you all in the postings - E :)
January - I won the Fast and Frigid contest on Echelon Press with "The Tulip Kiss" and my story was published the end of January. It was only a $1 but it was a publication, even if electronically.
February I entered the fast and Frisky contest, "Bride-and-Seek", also put on by Echelon Press but didn't win that or get published from that.
March I entered the fast and fancy contest, "Butterfly Halves", and Janelle won with "Hear the Wind Blow" and I got chosen to be published. Karen was asked many times when it would be published and I was told by the first part of May. So I kept on about the cover art. The first one she sent me was very goth and I didn't feel it fit the story at all. So got a second cover done - which was way more appropriate than and more appealing.
April I entered my story from February into the SCWW anthology. Waiting is the hardest thing.
Hailie went to Myrtle Beach with the youth group at the church for spring break - she had a great time.
May "Butterfly Halves" was published by Karen - finally - the end of the month - like the last Monday.
June - first part of June - Janelle and I had our fliers distributed at the Chicago thing - which is why I wanted to know when "Butterfly Halves" would be published so we could participate in that - I had already paid my $25 for some space to put stuff out. Of course, with ebooks, it's hard to really do much more than fliers and put on your blog or website or places online. It's not like you can hold a book in your hands unless you print out the pages yourself.
We also both entered the fast and foreign contest that Karen ran in June and the winner was a story that wasn't even written for the contest and had already won an award - so I had a rant about that and she made me remove my rant on my blog - so goes life - but I still have the words and they will never be erased.
The end of June I was fired from Karen's house because she did a very greedy interview on Mysterical-e ezine and I was totally appalled and told Karen so. There is no room in the publishing business for the publisher to be all about the money and not about her authors. Without the authors, she doesn't have a business. So because she didn't like my rant about her June contest nor my email to her about her interview, she fired me - reverted all my rights back to me and told me that was it - I was no longer published - oh well the cycle of writing and being published - I was published and still have that to my credit.
Both the kids went to Baton Rouge with the youth group from the church to help work on houses for Katrina relief. It was a definite experience that they will probably never forget. A long trip but they survived.
July I hear back from the anthology for the SCWW conference and my story, "Bride-and-Seek", was accepted for publication - woohooo - I made a full $5 for that story plus two copies of the anthology and if I attended the conference I would receive a third copy. With Susan from our group being in charge of the conference we were all told in our local group that we had better be there or else - so I had to go as a volunteer - well actually I had registered in June knowing that volunteers were comped the cost of the conference and all I had to pay was my room and whatever other expenses I had - like gas getting there - so it all worked out for that.
Hailie went on a trip with the girls' group to Kansas City, Missouri, for the Blume Conference - where over 3000 girls gathered for fellowship and teachings of the church as well as other areas in the world - they had a great time.
The end of July started band camp for the kids - three weeks of intense heat and working out to prepare for the band season. Normally we start school the first week or so of August but the governor had passed a law or added to our state laws that no school in South Carolina could start before the third Monday of August. Since school wasn't starting until the 21st of August this year, then band camp was moved from the middle of July to the end of the month which worked out better for the kids.
August school started and more band practices.
September - band competitions started - our school only competed in three competitions and we hosted one this year - our first that wasn't an upper state or state competition. Our band placed first in class in all three competitions. We took 2nd at upper state, behind Blue Ridge who wasn't nearly that good and are always expected to win and took 3rd at State - can't beat that considering last year we took 5th at upper state (have to be in the top six upper state or lower state to make it to state) and 11th at state. So we had a good band season.
October was the SCWW conference and it was awesome. I enjoyed the contacts I made, the workshops I got to proctor and attend and everything that went with it. It was a busy weekend but well worth it. I will be attending again this year.
November was a fast month - I don't remember anything really impressive about the month - except maybe it is the month Scoobee went missing (may have been the first part of December). We acquired Spazy Taz girl - a couple of months before this and she was pregnant by now and we had a hunting dog on our property causing problems the day before Thanksgiving and I had to call the pound to come get him because of the fights with him and Scoobee.
December what a month. First it was the month of parties - SCWW, Sisters in Crime, blind group, band, and an SCWW signing party at the bookstore - and then an after party at Bob's house - really enjoyed that. Fruit came in the middle of December and it was a ton of fruit to get delivered or made sure that everyone picked up when they were supposed to, but we didn't have too many who didn't get their fruit the first day. Christmas came with not too much excitement - kind of hard to be into the season when you can't do much for the kids or the family. But we survived. Bear gave everyone money and we did as we wanted or needed the next day. Hailie and I went shopping and on our return home - we had puppies (pictures to follow) - check out the video I've put together) -
So here we are about to ring a new year with 10 puppies, two children not here and me and my blog and my friends ringing in hopefully a prosperous and happy and healthy year - happy new year to all of you my friends, hopefully you will be successful and enjoy a great year. -- see you all in the postings - E :)
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