In my attempt to be more thorough and diligent - so that I achieve and attain more of my 2011 goals - I broke down and shared my process into multiple posts: comparison, evaluation of last year's goals, the spiritual side of planning, and now, the actual goal setting.
Because I'm self-employed, a freelancer, a bit of an entrepreneur, my business and personal goals often overlap. And that makes this sort of thing hard. So, I'll break this down the best I can.
Business: Work I get Paid For
Goal: Sell to publication that pays > 20 cents / word.
Explanation: I keep looking for more writing gigs, but, really, I need better paying ones. That means querying non-fiction work.
Steps:
By January 28, come up with 3 article pitches.
Pay closer attention to the market listings in FundsforWriters newsletter.
Starting February 1, query/pitch to one non-fiction market each week that pays more than >20 cents /word.
Starting March 1, find one new article pitch by the end of each month.
Goal: $xxx in editing projects for the year.
Explanation: It seems bad form to discuss specific money on blogs. That, and I'm not comfortable with that, either. But I have that number written for me. That said, this is slightly more amorphous, but mind you, I prefer to focus on writing.
Steps:
By Friday, January 14, entirely complete and bill for current editing project.
Any week where I am not actively engaged in an editing project should be spent searching for another.
Goal: Maintain usefulness as food reviewer & local entertainment writer.
Explanation: I couldn't think of a better way to word this. Basically, I want my food editor to keep assigning me stuff, so I need to keep pitching stuff.
Steps:
On Monday, January 10, send restaurant list and weekly pick to editor.
Maintain current mini-review deadlines and assignments with updates.
By Thursday, January 27, send new list of restaurants to editor
By Thursday, February 24, pitch next set of "Woo" minis.
Every following final Thursday of the month, send list of restaurants to editor.
Maintain payment spreadsheet.
Business: Promotion, Advertising, and Platform
Goal: Once per month, pitch/submit educational article in related/high-profile publication.
Explanation: This is another hard one to put into words. There are a lot of publications - particularly on the web - that don't pay a lot (or don't pay at all) - but are places that look good to be published in, places that will draw attention to my business.
Steps:
By Jan 31 (already have interview for January), compose list of 14 places I want to be published with 3 pitch lines for each.
Each week, pitch until schedule is full.
Goal: Send monthly updates to webmistress.
Explanation: In all honesty, my wonderful webmistress is responsible for any website updates at all. She sends reminders, or tells me when I go into her store. I know I didn't do so well on this last year, but that's no reason to not do better this.
Steps:
Send calendar updates each month.
Starting March 1, every other month, update one page of content.
Goal: Maintain blogging schedule.
Explanation: I did pretty well this year, but I never taught myself automatic updates. And I keep meaning to switch to Wordpress. (LiveJournal's advertising continues to get worse and aggravate me, blogger is not bad… but I cannot find a way to let people subscribe by email.)
Steps:
Update every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday night.
Change to Wordpress.
Learn how to do automatic updates and how to keep updating Blogger & LJ remotely.
Make a blogging topic schedule.
Prewrite some articles for a cushion.
Goal: Keep an outside blog schedule.
Explanation: There are a few blogs I keep meaning to add posts too, but I haven't yet.
Steps:
By January 21, create outside blog schedule.
Post per schedule.
Prewrite articles for a cushion.
Business: Fiction Writing, Written Work
Another confession, one of my greatest battles is the need to pay bills versus desire to just do the fiction as my business. Unfortunately, though the passion is there, the fiction often ends up neglected.
Goal: Submit 1 piece of fiction or poetry every week.
Steps:
Monday, January 10th, go through stockpile of fiction market info saved in inbox and submit 3 pieces.
Every following Monday, go through fiction markets and visit Ralan or Duotrope until a market to submit one piece is found; submit.
Maintain associated spreadsheets to prevent sim subs or repeat subs.
Goal: Submit 2 A Silent Starsong queries or packages each month.
Steps:
January 18th, update Querytracker stats and follow up on agents beyond their return timeframes.
Make 1 query submission.
Every following week, research agents until quota is met.
Goal: Bring Kelpie to a submit-able level.
Steps:
Finish rough draft by March 31.
Continue submitting scenes to Traveling Java writer's group.
Start on major edits May 1.
Complete 1st round major edits June 30.
Submit to Beta Readers.
Begin Beta reader edits October 1.
Complete 2nd round major edits before Christmas.
Set Submission Goals before New Year's.
Business: Fiction Writing, Co-Op
Goal: Finish latest Bad-Ass Faerie story by January 31; submit.
Steps:
Submit next scene to Christy by Tuesday, January 11.
Maintain 24-48 hour turnaround for drafting and then editing.
Goal: Finish Shepherd's Blood to a Beta Reader level.
Steps:
Create writing schedule with Christy.
Create editing schedule with Christy.
Maintain my end of schedules based on ability.
Explanation: If there's someone other than yourself involved, there are parts you simply have no control over. After last years lofty co-op goals failed, I'm lowering the bar on these.
Business: Fiction Writing, Platform
I'm actually going to do an even more thorough breakdown on this, particularly my convention planning. Stay tuned!
Personal: Health
Goal: Lose 60 lbs.
Steps:
Involve Husband-of-Awesome.
Create weight loss competition starting Monday, January 10.
Use Wii Fit on weekdays not spent with Calico or at convention.
Use yoga ball at desk a minimum of 2 hours per day.
Learn portion control.
Goal: Ride Calico in a 10+ mile trail ride.
Steps:
Work on flexibility and balance out of saddle with yoga and exercise
Ride at least 1x per week (allowances for outside circumstances, like weather.)
I know this is another lengthy post, but I hope seeing the steps I'm taking are useful to others - and that they are useful to me. Please let me know what you think!
Prosperous New Year!!
Posts
3 comments:
from Julie
You recent posts show that there is more to being a professional writer than sitting around waiting for the muse to show up ;). I appreciate the work you are putting into these blog posts and look forward to reading more. Maybe it will nudge me to write a little too. Wishing you a successful New Year, Trish.
second message from Julie
Woops!
That first word should be "Your".
Thank you, Julie! :) Do write some - and have fun with it. I make even the business part fun by writing about it... that means it gets done. Good luck & a successful New Year to you, too. :)
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