Showing posts with label business plan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business plan. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

New facet of Chaos, or Katie's hyperbolic, mythic moving experience


For those wondering why I've been even more remiss than usual about regular blog posts, here is the reason - told in the (only slightly edited) words of the cause.  A happy cause it is, though.  Life is a positive flavor of chaos at Chez Wooldridge.  Helloooooo, Katie!!

xx

Passing the protective daemons resting with the dryads of this mystic land, I come upon my home for the unknown future.  The grand cathedral [Trish, here, is deeply moved by such a description of her crooked, humble, home] is adorned with angles, fairies, and protected by its four legged guards and their elfin comrades. [I really hope she's not considering Nylis a guard. Maybe Loki, and the ghost--hell, even the statue, of Miss Rhetta.  But Nylis?]

First, we chose the clean out the junk in the room I wasn't going to sleep in and turn it into a more cleverly organized storage closet and library. [It's still a work in progress.]  To do this I, as a monkey, ascended the stair to the attic where was found many a box, chest, and crate filled with hidden fortunes and forgotten memories.

Next was the ship…. Ohhh…. Wait!!!  The weaponry.  Must mention those. [Even I had forgotten the depth of our collection…]

In the storage closet stood all manner of weapons for this palace’s gallant warriors to wield as each practiced and sparred with the spirits of the wood, lain bare from Winter’s chilly wind.  We transported these to the Temple Viewing (TV) room and blocked this entrance, protecting what would protect us, with the rugs and coverings found within the room that was to be changed next. [Oh my… those who know my writing - I swear, I am blameless here.  This is ALL Katie.]

Next was found a white, well built, with the sturdiest logs and paint, book shelf. Moving it is highly silly to watch and was done by mainly myself. (I made a short video).

Once we removed from the windows of the adjacent room [Katie's near-future completed bedroom] what had been keeping the cold-winter out and sunlight from ever coming in a refreshing and cleansing sensation came over us and hot chocolate was the perfect for that moment. [To my editor friends: A discussion will be had about passive writing.] And so we share a moment by the Comfort Stove.

Tho' this be a wonderful place to rest, we must journey forward through our days...

Days later, at Home Depot, I had a challenge of choosing not only the new color but the design, finally deciding on nothing and arriving from the store with a new fire protector (lamp shade), spackle and paint supplies.

Once the ship [read as: Katie's room, I had to ask about the metaphor, too] was emptied was when the handwork began.  [And Katie got tired of writing, so she bulleted the rest.

Spackling:  Finding and sealing every hole and ding was a chore taking days.
Painting:  Two coats helped me keep my thoughts warm.
Furnishing:  Moving the bed took two of us and after this the rest was up to me.

Now, I am happy to see my new residence built to allow for freedom of motion to and from nature. [She has a balcony.]
My aery was made for flight and its motion felt when you sit in its center--being as the floor is tilted and the furnishings are placed as tho' the room were a circle. [She likes her room and is kindly making the most of the aforementioned crookedness of my humble home.]

Now, we work on making the rest of the house liveable… while I attend to my email slayage, deadline challenges, and journey demands.  Ack… the mythic hyperbole is catching!!  I better end this post now and get to bed…

Monday, January 10, 2011

Happy New Year - Part 3


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!!

 
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