Writing Goals for 2018

Resolutions are a funny thing. You want to make them because you want to improve your life, but as we all know, we rarely tend to complete them. That's why I try to stick to only making professional goals for the New Year, rather than personal ones. In most cases personal goals often depend on the thoughts and actions of others, which no one else can control. Professional writing goals, however, are completely in my hands.

This year, the first goal is to start publishing quarterly. I don't know what form that will take, though I doubt it will be four full novels in a year. And it may not all be self-published in the same way as previous works, either. I am still keeping that option at the top of the list, but I'm exploring all types publication options, including Wattpad, Kindle Scout, literary journals, and of course the crown jewel of traditional publishing.  I want to make sure that I'm producing enough work because that's the only way I can achieve any of my other goals.

The next goal is a perpetual one for every writer: building a bigger audience. I've found this goal to be the most difficult to meet because I can get book sales, I can get reviews, but it's not often that I see a pattern to tell me there's a returning reader. I know that's because I tend to write in different genres and not everyone who likes one will like another. The goal here is really to create more than just a few works a year--it's to provide readers with other things that they want. What that is for my specific audience I'm still figuring out. But I know that I have to get the structure, tools, and marketing in place to attract more people to what I write. Easier said than done.

The third writing goal I have 2018 is directly linked to the second: getting more patrons on Patreon. I know that without some reason for a reader to feel loyal to my work, this isn't likely to happen. That's why building a relationship with an audience is so important. Patreon works for people because people believe in the artists they support. So, personal branding is going to have to be a priority this year, even though I often feel my personal message falls a little flat. That's all right. I can jazz it up.

These are pretty big goals, so I think my list will end here. I know it's going to take a lot of work and some time to see any results, but I'm sure going to try my best to make 2018 my best writing year yet.