This month's blogfest is co-hosted by Julie Flanders, Shannon Lawrence, Fundy Blue, and Heather Gardner. Here's our question for this month: As you look back on 2017, with all its successes and failures, if you could backtrack, what would you do differently?
This is a tough one to answer, at least for me. While I did meet my publishing goals for this year, both of the novels I started in 2017 are a long way from finished. Trying to find more writing time would have helped, but I'm not sure if that would be enough to get me past my current blocks on those projects. I need to focus more during my writing sessions and start with a sense of where the scene will go so I don't waste time.
On the marketing end, I probably should have sent out more frequent newsletters to my subscribers, though I don't want to send out so many I become annoying. I had planned to make some graphics with quotes from my books, but I haven't had much time for that either, even on Marketing Monday evenings. (Honestly, it can be difficult enough just keeping my subscriber list current.) I would also like to find other marketing techniques to try. At least this year-in-review gives me a chance to consider my goals for 2018.
How do you feel about your writing for this year? Will you be setting new goals for next year? Feel free to share in the comments.
I love the idea of Marketing Mondays. Setting aside one day/evening to dedicate to this task so that authors aren't thinking about it all week, what a great concept! http://www.raimeygallant.com
ReplyDeleteI need to work on graphics like that for the IWSG. Maybe setting aside a night like that would give me the time.
ReplyDeleteI send a newsletter about every 2 weeks but there's usually someone who quits shortly after. How dare I send them what they signed up for.
ReplyDeleteGood for you for meeting your goals though! I set goals, then started working full time in February. I didn't even put a dent in them after that. :( Good luck on those two novels!
ReplyDeleteI've got a collection of short stories on Amazon that haven't sold well, so I wanted to try setting up an account with Pinterest showcasing images that illustrate the stories because I've read that people who browse that site often make purchasing decisions based on what they see.
ReplyDeleteAlso, my thirteen-year-old has been reading and enjoying what sounds like flash fiction on some reading apps. Most are spooky stories. If this is a trend among the youngsters, it may be worth exploring.
When it comes to published and writing, I think we end up accomplishing one more than the other, because we have to devote our attention to one or the other. Try plotting out what you need to write next when you come to the end of a writing session. You don't even have to plot a lot, just enough so you know what to write next. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI should have spent more time promoting my books. I'm not creative, so making graphics doesn't come easy. In fact, my limited efforts look amateurish. But we do what we can. I try to accept that. Not always successful. Hope you & your family enjoy the holidays.
ReplyDeleteI did little to no marketing this year and focused on writing instead. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Like everyone, I'd like to get more words written next year. However, next year is looking quite different from this one, so we'll see what goals I'll end up setting. I've got a lot of thinking to do before January!
ReplyDeleteI think 2017 was especially productive for you, plus you seemed to have been very involved with family and other passions too.
ReplyDeletere: subscriber list
I am terrible at this. That is all. :)