Where Do I Want to Be 1 Year From Now?

It's a long road ahead, and I've come a long way already.

Like any self-published independent writer, I want to make a living off of my writing. I want to be able to make enough money through my writing that I won't need to break my back (and my soul) for 60 hours a week at a high-stress, physically demanding job.

I want to be able to have enough money to provide for my family.

Most of all, I want to be able to leave behind a legacy as an author, something that my children and

grandchildren can take down off the shelf and get lost within.

Connection.

But what does that mean, practically? High-falutin' mental meandering aside, I am just over the crest of my 40th year on this planet and I am nowhere near where I want to be as a writer. All my life, I've been reading, absorbing, and appreciating other people's work, getting lost in other people's worlds. Now, I want to create my own.

SOOO, here's a list of the things I want to accomplish by the end of 2022 (I know, it is a year and some change from right now, but I am giving myself a little breathing room here)

MY WRITING GOALS FOR 2022

1. Audiobooks for all of my books - This is a no-brainer, and anyone who writes should get on this. Having a way to listen to your book is a great way to offer something to people who may want to read what you have to say, but don't have the time to sit down to actually read it. Audiobooks are fantastic, and I use Findaway Voices, through Draft2Digital to get all of my ebooks an audiobook.

2. At least five (5!!!) flash fiction anthologies - WHAT AM I THINKING?!? Probably that I need to really hone in on my love of flash fiction to get more on the market. The more books you have published, the more products you have for potential readers to consume. I want to publish 5 anthologies in each category of my speculative fiction: Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction. I've already got 3 in Fantasy, and 1 in Horror, time to buckle down and blast off into space for some sci fi flash!

3. A great author website. What this means is different for every writer, but I want something simple and accessible. Something that says who I am, what I write, and what I've got on the market. I know I need to invest in getting my email list set up, but even after all the books and youtube videos, I still don't know how to set up an email list. Any suggestions?

4. A Reader Magnet. Or a freebie. Something that I can offer COMPLETELY FREE to get people to sign up to my email list (so you can see I really need #3 done before I can focus on this). I read a great article on Reader Magnets once. It said, basically, have a book you are willing to give away completely for free. At the end of it, drop a link to your website and email sign up form, with the promise that if you give me your email, I will send you Book #2, ALSO COMPLETELY FREE while everyone else has to pay for it. I don't know, Cotton, sounds like a bold strategy, we'll see how it pays off. You're telling me I need to have TWO FULL NOVELS offered for NOTHING IN RETURN BUT AN EMAIL ADDRESS? You can see why I feel like this is just flushing money down the drain. I think this strategy may work once you have an extensive library of offerings; new readers will want to read more of what you wrote so it's okay to lose the sale of two books because you potentially now have a customer who thinks you're awesome and will want to buy the rest of your catalogue.

5. One of those tweed jackets with the patches on the elbows. Idk they just look really writer-y.

We'll see how much of this list I am able to finish by the end of 2022. Join me, won't you? And let me know down below what your writer goals are for the year 2022. Happy writing!