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is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date.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.
Someone asked me what my hobbies were the other day. I realized that writing and blogging have been my hobbies for the last 4 years but now this is my business as well as my passion. So I need to step it up in 2012.
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.
Gary A Swaby says
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.
Joanna Penn says
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?
Gary A Swaby says
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.
Joanna Penn says
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.
J.A. Dalley says
Those are goals to rival my own. I wish you the best of luck in selling 50,000 books.
Joanna Penn says
Great to meet another challenging goal setter!
Atiya Townes says
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!
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Atiya, I decided goals was a better word than resolutions as well. You have a plan which is excellent – all the best!
Andrea says
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.
Joanna Penn says
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 🙂
Carla says
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.
Joanna Penn says
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.
Fritz says
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
Joanna Penn says
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.
Fritz says
Thanks Joanna! That’s going to be my reading for tonight! ^_^
Graham says
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.
Joanna Penn says
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!
Joanna Penn says
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
Tracy Krauss says
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.
Joanna Penn says
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!
Libby says
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.
Joanna Penn says
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.
Libby says
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.
Mary Kathryn Johnson says
Thanks for sharing your goals, Joanna! Nice to have other measures for life.
Like you, 2011 was a year of major change for me, and I will make 2012 another one, but in a different way…with complete focus on writing and publishing! Thank you for all you share, you have certainly helped many of us become better writers and self publishers, and with that in mind, here goes…
~ Publish 1 children’s book, 1 fiction novel and the workbook that accompanies Say Bump and Take a Left (http://www.saybump.com)
~ Finish and Launch video series on becoming an Author and Entrepreneur
~ Regularly post to my 2 blogs once per week
~ 50% of my time devoted to expanding and promoting HelpMeSelfPublish.com
~ Keep off the 35 lbs. I lost last year, and continue to tone so that by summer, I feel fabulous in a two piece bathing suit!
~ Yearly income equal to half my husband’s salary (not including bonus and benefits)
Okay, enough for now – I better write these down myself, and put them on my white board in my office!
Here’s to much success and peace in 2012!
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Mary, it sounds like we are on a similar path this year!
Pamela Hegarty says
Great goals, Joanna! One of my goals for 2012 is to write, dare I say it?, 750 words per day of my second novel in my Christa Devlin series. Maybe we should start a Write Watchers group, inspired by Weight Watchers, where we check in every week to make sure we stay on target. A second goal is to spend less time thinking about and researching marketing and more time actually marketing! This includes writing reviews of books I’ve read, including Pentecost, which I thoroughly enjoyed, on my To Do list for tomorrow. Third goal – more posts for my blogs. Now that the holidays are over, no more excuses.
Joanna Penn says
Hi Pamela, good on you for the word count goal. I’m more of a binge writer myself, so I will do 2500 every day I’m in the library for writing but that’s not every day. Maybe you could also set a weekly goal so if you miss a day, you don’t feel too bad?
Thanks also for a review of Pentecost. I am also committed to writing reviews of more books this year. I try to think of it as review karma – the more we write, hopefully the more we get!
Kathleen Alexander says
Thanks for sharing Joanna. I just LOVE reading about all the wonderful things you’ve achieved.
I was just talking to a friend of mine in Malaysia on New Years Eve. Resolutions are a big thing for her. She has categories and sub-categories which contrasted quite starkly with my approach – I tend not to make New Years resolutions, as I like to make changes as and when I need throughout the year.
That said, I still do think there’s a certain energy that comes with a new year and an opportunity to a fresh start and there are a few outcomes I want. My outcomes are more business-related are and they boil down to using time more productively.
1. Do more, think less 🙂 this relates directly to making decisions more swiftly.
2. Blog, conduct more expert interviews audio
3. Outsource tasks to a VA so I can focus on the stuff that matter rather than trying to fix things that aren’t within my expertise.
Joanna Penn says
Hi Kathleen, how lovely to hear from you – our podcast was one of the top episodes last year! and I am going to write my next non-fiction as well – Change Career Slowly, this year too!
I think that having a VA is a great idea and something I have been kind of trying in small ways by outsourcing activities. I will do more of this in 2012 as well. I’m just such a control freak!
Kerstin Broemer says
That are ambitious goals, Joanna. I’m sure, you’ll achieve them all! 🙂
I did a blog post on my goals for fiction writing and my blog 2 days ago. Here they are:
> writing and revising novel #1
when I tried to break down the whole process, I ended up with:
– January: finishing outline and research
– February to mid May: first draft, then 6 weeks rest period
– July and August: my revisions/rewrites
– September and October: structural editor and my follow-up edits
– November: test readers and my follow-up edits
– December: copy editor and my follow-up edits
That is such a long time. After finishing the first draft 7.5 months until final draft? This way I will never finish more than one book a year. I would be very happy to hear your schedules on writing and the different stages of editing. 🙂
> outlining novel #2 (in rest period of novel #1 and when it is with editors / test readers)
> writing 3 short stories
> at least 3 new articles a week on my blog
> learning podcasting and adding one episode a week on my blog
Joanna Penn says
Hi Kerstin, if I achieve them all, then I didn’t stretch myself, right?!
On your fiction writing schedule, I presume you also have a day job? This factors in greatly, as does the genre you’re writing in. Also, series books are faster when you already know the characters. So Pentecost took me 9 months but Exodus will be speedier.
I write about 2500 words per day once I have a broad outline. I also don’t rest the book for 6 weeks. I’m going to New Zealand in March so I want to have a first draft done by then so I can rest it while I’m on holiday. So that could cut your time. Rest for 3 weeks, not 6. But this isn’t a bad schedule, I think the John Locke’s and Amanda Hocking’s of the world make us feel like we need to be speedy. But we are all different! So enjoy the journey and the creative process. Speed up if you can but if not, a book a year is respectable!
Re podcasting, it is awesome! Here’s my article on how to do it if you missed it
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2011/01/15/how-to-create-a-podcast/
Louise Behiel says
Great goals, Joanna. They are all attainable. For me, the tough one is the fitness and weight loss. yuck – I need to do this this year.
thanks for the ocurage to share these personal and professional goals.
Joanna Penn says
I feel like I have no excuse re fitness this year. I feel so happy in all the other areas – this one needs some attention! All the best for your goals.
Lorna Kopp says
Hi Joanna,
Just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your blog and podcasts:) I find them very encouraging and so practical. You’ve inspired me to finish the 1st draft of my historical fiction and get it edited and self-published this year. My goal is to have that done by October of this year! I also want to get my music CD self-published as well. I’ve also started blogging…my goal to start is 1 day/week and then we’ll see where it heads. I feel like I’m still “exploring” with that, if that makes sense?
Thanks again for all the helpful tips and for being an ‘open book.’ Love it!
smiles,
Lorna
Joanna Penn says
Hi Lorna, Thanks so much and I’m so glad to be helpful. It really is my driving force for this blog. Congrats on your first draft, that’s such an achievement and I know the path to self-publishing is just a series of steps to follow. Exploring with blogging is a good start – it takes a while to find your feet.
and publishing your own music – that’s a great talent! One I know nothing about 🙂 but the indie music scene has been around longer than books, so there are lots of great resources for that.
All the best!
Tonya Rice says
Thanks for this motivating post, Joanna!
My 2012 writing plans:
* I’ll be posting on my blog much more consistantly this year – at least one post per week.
* I completed the first draft of my novel in October 2011 (Hallelujah!); I plan to complete at least two rewrites by May 2012 and have it published before the end of 2012. (In process of drafting my schedule for this part.)
* Make time for NaNoWriMo this year
* Write at least two articles per month for online news site.
* Explore additional online marketing avenues, too.
Thanks much and Happy New Year!
Joanna Penn says
That sounds great Tonya, and publishing in 2012 is certainly achievable! I think we’ll have a revisit of this post in July to see how everyone is trucking!
Tonya Rice says
I like that July benchmark, Joanna! Great way to help stay on track… will be on lookout!
Joanna Penn says
Email from Arabella:
Good goals, Joanna. Hope I can emulate you.
Retreats – a friend of mine goes to the Buddhist Manjushri Centre in the Lake District – Ulverston, I think. Her son (very English) is one the leading lights there. Voirrey loves it – and it always sends her home revived and fulfilled. She’s not Buddhist, and there’s no requirement to be Buddhist, I don’t think. I don’t think the teaching clashes with any other mainstream religion – the tenets seem like sense to me, not dogma. Anyway – have a look.
Janice Lane Palko says
Hi Joanna:
Love your site. After toiling as a magazine writer and editor for years and trying to sell my novels the traditional way, I came to the realization last fall that indie publishing is the wave of the future. I’ve spent the last few months trying to make this paradigm shift by learning about marketing and acquiring a “social media presence.”
My goals for this year are to release my first romantic dramedy, St. Anne’s Day, by July 26, which is St. Anne’s Day, and my Christmas novel, A Shepherd’s Song, which has been languishing on my computer for a while, in time for the holidays–all while writing a new novel, Most Highly Favored Daughter. I feel a bit like the guy who juggles while playing the harmonica!
I hear you about the weight thing. I also hope to have a thinner photo to post in the coming months.
Good luck and thanks for all the wisdom.
Joanna Penn says
Hi Janice, it sounds like you are well on your way with indie, and it’s always great to hear about people switching. It is a paradigm shift but one I hope you will enjoy. Let’s keep each other honest on the weight 🙂
Kim M Kimselius says
People say that I inspired them, and now I have found someone to inspire me. Thank you for your great blog Joanna!
My goal for 2012 is to get my debutbook Back to Pompeii printed and released in english (I’m almost there!). My books has been translation into many language, but it’s not until now that one of my books is translated into english and released at the english/american market!
I write historical novels and my goal also is to release my 20:th book ‘The secrete of the Mayapeople’ in august 2012. Then I will release a book about writing; how to write, how to print and so on, which I talk much about at my blog.
I will also print my old fathers biography, he is 88 year becoming 89 this year and I hope he will still be with us when the book is ready.
I want to release my “secret book”, which I told no-one about, because it’s so different to all the other books I have written.
My goal is to take a research trip to Mexiko and do the best lecturing ever in Singapore for the children at the Swedish School.
There’s some of my goals.
Once again thank you for sharing all this with me. I’m sure you are going to reach all your goals!
Love Kim
Joanna Penn says
Wow! That’s a lot of writing Kim, brilliant! 20 books in your backlist is awesome, I have some catching up to do. That’s also great about your father’s biography. I think older people need to know they can do these print on demand books for little outlay now, even just for family viewing. There are so many stories worth telling. All the best.
Kim M Kimselius says
I’m sure you will catch up soon. Older peoples stories are good for their grandchildren to read. That’s why I help my father with the work. You are such a nice person answering all the comments on your blog! Thanks!
Love Kim