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is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date.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.
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