Where do you want your writing career to be this time next year? How many books, articles, blog post, and short stories do you want to have written?
Work backwards to figure out what your short-term goals need to be to accomplish these goals. Be sure to set goals for your writing, promotional activities, and development of your craft.
Writing goals
You probably won’t be able to write every day. Start by blocking out vacations, holidays, and other times that you know you probably won’t be able to write.
How much do you need to write daily to accomplish your goals? Be realistic in your estimates.
If you really plan to write as much as possible, set your daily goal low. You’ll feel great when you meet it and most days you will be able to exceed it. Join or start your own Club 100. Write 100 words per day for 100 days. This builds up your writing habit. It also pleases your muse. Online groups are great because you check in and are accountable to the rest of the group.
Promotional goals
Do you want to be a bestseller? What steps do you need to take to get your there.
If your goal is to be an Amazon bestseller, a great place to start is with Kathleen Gage’s course on how to be an Amazon bestseller. Click the link above to check out her free preview call. Kathleen knows a lot about marketing books and using the Internet to your best advantage.
What steps do you need to take daily to build up your readership?
- Attend conferences
- Network online
- Blog
Craft goals
What skill do you need to improve? Will you take classes online or in person? Do you need mentorship?
Be sure to set goals which you can control. You can’t set a goal to be published or to find an agent. You can set a goal to send out a certain number of submissions to your list of top editors and agents. Set goals that optimize your chances of publishing or finding that special editor or agent.
Most important of all is to take steps everyday to reach your goals.
Set long-term, intermediate, and short term goals. Evaluate your progress along the way.
What are your goals for 2009? How will you reach them
?
Write on,
Lynn Jordan
Thanks for the pep talk, Lynn.
While I’ve been bolstered and inspired by the all the New Year’s resolutions blogs, I haven’t taken any concrete steps toward putting my hopes and goals down in black and white.
Time to take a stand. Time to take action.
I am woman; hear me roar ….
Way to go, Cassie! Get those goals written down. You are much more likely to achieve them when you have them in writing.
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I agree if you don’t have goals most likely nothing will be accomplished. The mind requires a concrete outline in order to manifest the goal. It can not concepts.