OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn
Happy New Year! I love the start of the year and I am extremely excited about 2012. It's the best time to be a writer and we have many opportunities to take advantage of in a world where we can reach customers directly.
I also don't like resolutions. The word sounds like something you kind of aim for and quite often fail to achieve. I like goal setting in a specific manner so we can easily measure success by the end of the year. So these are my writing and business goals for 2012. I'd love to hear about yours in the comments.
Fiction Writing
- Write 2 novels and a novella. At least one of these will be in the ARKANE series but I have a lot of other ideas right now.
- Sell 50,000 copies of my fiction books by September.
- Go on a weekend writing course/ invest in expanding my fiction skills. I have already booked a Guardian Masterclass for Feb and I fancy the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in July
The Creative Penn, my business
I am committing to improving the blog in 2012. You will continue to get the latest in writing, publishing and book marketing information that I can find. I already have interviews booked until March so more podcasts & videos to come. I also commit to sharing my own journey honestly in order that transparency can help us all. I hope you will continue to comment on the posts and email me questions as well as spreading the word if you find it useful.
My more specific goals are:
- Update TheCreativePenn.com to reflect the business side in terms of courses and education. One of my favorite blogs is Copyblogger.com for their practical business help on copywriting. This year they changed their design to reflect that they are a business powered by a blog. This is where I'm heading in 2012.
- Rewrite and relaunch the Author 2.0 Blueprint. It has had little updates but it needs a full revamp.
- Release 3 new multi-media mini-courses including “How to launch your book online”
- Seriously study copy-writing and direct marketing from Copyblogger & other resources. I think I have the hang of brand marketing but now I need to focus on the direct side.
- Financially, the income from the business (including fiction) needs to match my husband's salary by the end of 2012. No need for figures here but suffice to say, I need to work smarter 🙂 My income streams will be 80% scalable from book sales and online sales of courses. 20% will be based on my time – speaking and consulting.
Non-Fiction Writing
I always wanted to be a self-help author and it's time to revisit that in 2012.
- Revise and re-release “From Idea to Book” with material from the blog and my experience
- Revise and re-release “From Book to Market” with material from the blog and my experience
- Write Change Career Slowly, a development from my first book, How to Enjoy Your Job… Or Find A New One
Fitness and Personal Growth
I have lots of other personal goals, both individual and with my husband but I'm sharing these two because they also spill into my creative life.
- Writing and blogging are highly sedentary. I've tried a stand-up desk but that didn't last long. I've also put on 3kgs since I went full-time author-entrepreneur. That isn't sustainable. No, this isn't a weight-loss blog, but we must keep physically healthy in order to have a successful, long-lived creative life. So, I am putting it in writing this year (aarghh!) My goal is 63kg and you should see the difference in my cheekbones on the videos! See you on the treadmill!
- Go on a silent retreat. I've been wanting to do this for years so this year, I will make it happen. If you have done this, please do let me know any recommendations for venues.
Ok, that's me.
What are your goals for 2012? Please share them in the comments below and we can revisit them at the end of the year.
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1 2 3 4 Next »Lol on a mission to beat the husbands income ay?
Great goals there, and I am sure you will achieve them all.
My main goal is to just finish and release my book.
I was always the big wage-earner but then I have up the paying day job :) Now I am clawing my way back to psychological success! Yours is an important goal but you need a date by which you will do it. Any ideas?
I'm going to try and have the final draft (including all edits) finished in April, and hopefully go for a May release. I could probably have it ready earlier but I want to give myself enough time to refine everything, and ensure it's the best possible book for the audience.
Getting the first edits back is going to be a tough one lol, but it must be done.
It's definitely tough but you know it makes the work stronger. I've read a few books lately that really could have used more editing. It's critical.
Those are goals to rival my own. I wish you the best of luck in selling 50,000 books.
Great to meet another challenging goal setter!
I refused to make any resolutions this year. I plan to just stick to what I want. Right now that's finish my first book, start school and turn my hobby into something that pays me. Truthfully it sounds a lot like you in your first four years.
Hopefully I am well received and then I can turn around and help others who decide to start a career in writing. If not that maybe begin to volunteer somewhere, but that's a long term goal not a new years resolution.
Happy New Year!
Thanks Atiya, I decided goals was a better word than resolutions as well. You have a plan which is excellent - all the best!
I love how well-defined your goals are. I'm sure if anyone can achieve their goals this year, it will be you. Your blog and podcasts are interesting and inspiring. Thanks for all the hard work you put in.
Thanks Andrea, I do find that definition of a goal makes it easier to achieve and we'll be able to measure how I do in Dec :)
I've written a list of goals for this new year, but I prefer to keep them private. I feel that if I keep them for myslef I am more relaxed in bringing them to completion. That doesn't mean I don't feel committed. Actually I've also prepared a list of things to do on January so that I get started in the best way!
Anyway I have a goal which I can share here. I finished the first draft of my novel on December 30th and my goal for the first 3 months of this year is to edit it in order to have a draft ready for the next step. I will try some publishers first, but I'm already planning an independent release in case I don't get the feedback I'm looking for from them.
And of course I'm planning to start writing something new, starting from next week.
Hi Carla, I completely understand and I haven't shared the goals for my marriage or personal travel and other things. I am a goal junkie! I know about keeping things personal, don't you worry!
Congrats on your first draft - that's a great milestone, now for the refining.
I actually stumbled onto your blog a few weeks ago and let me tell you, what a treasure trove! I'm so excited and I've been reading several articles and listening to many of your podcasts in my spare time. You have such a wealth of information, you can be sure I've got you bookmarked! ^_~
That being said, My goals this year is to actually join NaNoWriMo this year as well as work on the book that's been revolving around in my head. I've several friends who do NaNoWriMo and needless to say I think I could use the extra push with my own writing. <3
Hi Fritz, Thanks so much, I'm glad you're enjoying the blog - there's gems buried here that I need to uncover again myself!
NaNoWriMo is a great thing, it kickstarted my own fiction writing - if you haven't seen it, you can follow my progress on the first novel, from idea to 10,000 copies sold here : http://www.thecreativepenn.com/firstnovel/
It might help inspire you and also enable you to see how NaNo is just the start.
Thanks Joanna! That's going to be my reading for tonight! ^_^
Wow, audacious goals Joanna. As they say - BHAG's! Very inspiring as ever. Having followed you for a while now, I agree that if anyone can achieve such a list, you can for sure. I love your honesty. Keep up the great work.
For my part, I have set some goals out on my somewhat rudimentary blog (http://grahamdinton.com/wp/). We all have to start somewhere. I'm particularly keen on my 'scan and scrap'...
Happy New Year and here's to 2012.
Hi Graham, I have a post on BHAGs that will come out at some point! I actually think these are stretch goals but not BHAGs which I see more as dreams that may take years to achieve. So for me to be a successful author (in my own definition), I have a long way to go!
I see you want to learn from some podcasts as well on your list - hopefully you follow mine, but I also recommend http://thrillerpodcast.com/ and http://www.writingexcuses.com/ as great listening. I think that is a great layout by the way, in terms of your goals, very clear and concise - not like my wordy ones! All the best with the writing year - and I do hope you let me know of your progress!
From Brendan Foley on the email:
Well done on another great year! I too had a good year in starting many important projects and this year will see me in leverage mode where I build on those foundations. I've done a free goal setting video and PDF that is getting rave reviews. You might like to try it and maybe share with your network? http://www.the5statesofsuccess.com/2012-success-plan
Wow! 50,000 books by September?! That's quite a goal. I think you're my new hero and I need to start following you.
Hi Tracy, I figure I have sold 16,000 of Pentecost and Prophecy has just come out and then if I can get another novel and novella done by July, I may be able to make 50,000! Gotta have a stretch goal!
Wow, you have some serious goals. I did some a month ago and am dedicating this Monday morning to updating them for the new year. On the health aspect, in my head when I run is always that running is a necessary part of a writer's life. How can you sit still hard without moving hard too? Haruki Murakami is a big runner.
I loved his book 'What I think about when I think about running'. It's excellent and he is right about the physicality of writing. It takes stamina. When I lived in New Zealand over 5 years ago, I did run half marathons but lost that fitness living in Brisbane which was just too hot to run. Now I'm back in England, it's time to resurrect that habit again.
Lordy, I didn't even know that book existed. I heard that he was a runner on a podcast the other day while I was doing the dishes. It fits though, being a runner and a writer that he would write on it. Good luck getting your stride back.